Just Say Yes
by Bleriana
Summary: I heard you're a player so let's play a game. Let's talk 24/7. Let's play fight. Let's tell each other good morning and good night every day. Let's give each other nicknames. Let's hangout with each others' friends. Let's go on dates. Let's talk on the phone all night long. Let's hold each other. Let's kiss and hug. And whoever falls in love first... loses.
1. Harvard Can Wait

_A/N_

_I want to start off by saying that I love and thank my Beta Kymz and her amazing beta-skillz. I want to continue with the love I have for you for all the things you do. I want to end with still be my friend? Yeah, I totes suck at rhyming._

**Chapter 1: Harvard can wait**

Sometimes I wondered if she'd ever knock this off. If she'll ever realize that the more she talked about it, the more I didn't want to. With a groan I roll out of bed. This is an unreasonable demand. I know it, she knows it yet she still talks about it. Frequently, and for at least 6 months now.

The only funny thing about this: since I started ignoring her she started talking to herself. Loud enough for me to hear and maybe the neighbours can too. Not that she'd care about embarrassing us. What we did to her was way more scandalous.

Just as I open the door of my bedroom I hear her words clearly now, unmuffled by the door that used to barrier me from her verbal onslaughter. She looks up at me from the bottom of the stairs she's mopping, waiting and certainly hoping for a reaction. When I simply turn around heading for the bathroom I only hear a "That girl is going to be the death of me!" before I close the bathroom door.

The both of us being together in one room is dangerous and highly explosive. Both of us think we're right. None of us is willing to hear each other out, let alone see reason in the others' point of view. Though actually her opinion doesn't even really matter here.

I jump into the shower in an attempt to wash last nights' sweat off of me. In an attempt to wash it all off. The pain, the sorrows, the uncertainty but the water only takes the physical evidence with it.

A towel around my body and one on my head I walk back to my room relieved that my mother is nowhere to be seen.

It must be well after lunch by now, the time my days usually start.

For a moment my mind drifts to what I'd be doing if I were at work today. Quickly diverting to thoughts of my very friendly wake-up call.

It's not that I wouldn't get angry with any other person trying to talk me into this; the topic itself just bears that danger, but those people are strangers. My mother is not. My mother should know better than to piss me off like this and on purpose nonetheless.

Deep breaths B I remind myself and before I've counted to ten; a technique my father taught me after finding out I had inherited Renee's bad temper, my mother bursts through the door doing what she does best, criticising me.

"That towel around your head looks awful take it down, dry your hair with it and blow-dry it. Though on second thoughts blow dry it and straighten it afterwards, it looks like a lion mane otherwise. Also how many times do I have to tell you to use one towel instead of two? But of course why would you not use two. It's not like you're doing any laundry or hanging it out..., "she tells me for the billionth time. We've had this conversation so many times that I feel like she is a broken CD-player stuck on the same scratch on the CD that's repeating over and over again, only I can't switch to the next song. The phone rings and she's gone like the wind, leaving me to thank god for making someone call her.

Renee has never had a job in her entire life; not one day has she had to work. She was raised to be a housewife, that's what she's been doing all her life. Ever since she had to stay at home after high school because her parents could simply not afford college. She cleaned, cooked, took care of her family in every way possible which is honorable, but surely no more so than going to work and helping with the household aswell? Something I've done for two years before I became jobless. I'll never understand her.

After I'm dressed and towel-dried my hair, I head downstairs to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Even though it's technically too late for that. Brunch seems more fitting.

Grabbing a bowl to pour my cornflakes and milk into, I hear my mother's voice getting louder and more excited as she comes closer.

"No Sue, she's not listening to me... I know it's an offer she shouldn't refuse..."she speaks into the receiver and I take that as my cue to leave. I grab my bowl and literally run to my room before I say something not so nice to her that I might regret later.

Sue has been the one to start this topic and she's the one who keeps bringing it up. To say I am not on good terms with her since then would be an understatement. My mothers trusting of her way more than she deserves, doesn't make the situation I am in any better.

At least I get to finish my cornflakes before I hear my mother stomp up the stairs. For a moment I am thankful she didn't choose the profession of a burglar because she sure would've sucked at it, and it might've gotten in the way of her marrying the police officer of Forks but that's a different story altogether. "Sue just called, "she informs me as she stands beside me.

I think No shit, Sherlock; I say "Uh-hmm" instead.

"According to her that guy is really really nice and great, "she continues absolutely ecstatic that finally someone's interested in me. I can't help but roll my eyes. Here we go again. Even though I should be used to it by now, I must've held onto the teensy tiny bit of hope that lingers inside of everything that seems hopeless because I am disappointed yet again that she's not as tired of this game as I am.

"You should at least give the poor boy a chance you know? Maybe he's not that bad after all. He told Sue that he won't back off until he hears you're married, "she giggles.

1... 2... 3... Oh, fuck this shit.

"That guy has only seen me once in his entire fucking life when we were kids and yet he goes around telling people he wants to marry me and you're not only totally falling for it but not even questioning his motives or even Sue's? Do you really want to get rid of me that badly because I can sure move out aswell you know? "I yell, furious with my mother for making me feel this way. Unwanted, unloved and Unworthy of actually being loved. I have so much more to say but I hold my tongue. I'm the daughter after all. I owe her, not the other way around.

I'm in full rage, pacing around the room. Trying desperately to get my breathing under control and distract myself before I lose it, well try to is more like it.

All my life I've been told to stay away from men. They only want one thing from me she'd said. They'll break my heart and leave me bleeding she'd said. Every attempt at being a girl she'd nipped in the bud. The result: A man-distrusting tomboy.

Normal mothers don't tell their 14-year-old daughters that men only want sex or that they'll break their heart. Normal mothers don't tell their 16-year-old daughters what to wear and normal mothers sure don't think that just anyone is good enough for their daughter but that nobody is.

Operation calm yourself is still in full effect. Anger is not good for my health, I remind myself or for those around me, my evil side chimes in.

My mother just stares at me, clearly oblivious of what's going on inside of me and only says "You can move out once you're married. Besides I am not telling you to marry him, just to consider getting to know him. "

Does she even realize she's being totally contradictory?

"Well his intentions are more than clear, "I say calmer than I should be able to.

Once she's by the door, the knob in her hand, she turns around one last time accusing me that I'll never get a chance like this ever again and steps out.

Tired of my angry outburst earlier, I lay down on my bed staring at the ceiling. When there's still some anger left in my system, I make plans to move out. Somewhere she can't find me would be perfect. Maybe Europe? I heard Germany's a great place to live.

When there's none though, rather unwelcome thoughts occupy my mind. What if she's at least kind of right? Mothers always are, aren't they? She must worry. I mean I'm a 21 year old A+ virgin who has never let anyone but her best friend of 15 years through her walls. According to Alice I even have walls surrounding the walls I've built around me. She's probably right about that, considering my natural distrust towards people.

Thankfully the feminista in me never tires of reminding me that I got lots of dreams to fulfill before I even think about dating anyone. I don't have the time to. Yes, some of them might remain dreams forever, like going to Harvard, but I won't let that get me down. I still have plenty of goals to achieve before I even think of any type of relationship, I nod to myself. It's important to live your life before you start sharing it with someone else. While you're in love you might find everything much more appealing but one day, those rose-colored glasses will be worn out and you'll see life for what it is: A constant struggle.

Somewhere along the way I must've fallen asleep because dad's at my door waking me up and calling me for dinner. Please let this not be a rerun of today's episode of "Let's get Bella set up with someone because obviously she can't find a boyfriend herself". To make sure it's not, I give Renee the "Don't make this a rerun of the Let's get Bella set up with someone because obviously she can't find a boyfriend herself episode earlier look and hope she's not as oblivious to it as she usually is.

We eat without a word lost on the incident and instead the usual "How was your day? "blabber ensues. Renee holds a twenty minute monologue about all the housework she's done and what she still needs to do tomorrow. Good thing she's so damn self-centered because by the end of it we're done eating and mum and dad leave me to clean up. Hopefully Renee knows the "Don't talk about it"clause is still in effect.

Charlie's on her side anyway. He knows that guy; well his father actually, so he'd be more than delighted. I scrub the pan with the full force of my frustration. It's unbelievable how my parents think that I should settle down when I'm anything but ready to. You'd think that with the way they're pushing for it, I'm a slut or something. They want me to settle down already because I'm sleeping around too much. But truth is: I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I don't whore around. I'd have to go out to do all that anyway. Which I don't.

"That pan is as clean as it'll ever get, "my dad breaks the silence. He effectively scared me to death and caused me to drop said pan with his sudden appearance.

"Dad, my poor heart! " I gasp. He comes over slowly, as if I was a rare and easily scared animal. But when he speaks up again I have to wonder whether he was only moving that slowly to consider his next move. "Bells, you know that your mom and I only want what's best for you, right? "

I take a deep calming breath, just as I've done numerous times today. Yelling at Charlie is impossible. Unlike my mom who's always preferred the dominant and aggressive road when handling me, he prefers to go for pity. Damn its effectiveness.

A nod is all I can manage. How can I say no to my dad who hardly ever said no to me? "I've heard great things about that kid Bella. You could at least give it a try and who knows? Maybe he's your prince charming? "

My throat is choked up from the effort to hold back the tears of frustration welling behind my closed eyelids.

Breathe in, Breathe out, Breathe in, surely he can't expect me to agree to this, can he? Not when the intention is to marry me off.

First they'll talk me into dating him, then into marrying him aswell. It's not like I haven't seen that happen before.

Eric Yorkie. The name brings up a memory I'd rather erase.

About one year ago my parents talked me into chatting with him online and tried to talk me into accepting his proposal aswell. An online proposal, because I had never actually seen the guy in real life.

That's when I found out my parents are special. Meaning crazy.

"I'm not in the right mindset currently, dad, "I barely get out, my voice breaking at the last word.

"Why, are you too busy stalking guys that don't know of your existence? I wish you would stop that and start living in the real world! "My mother yells, rounding the corner into the kitchen. Of course she was the catalyst behind this. Will she ever learn when to shut up?

"First of all, I'm not stalking anyone. What I do is called blogging and I do it for fun, as a hobby. Second of all, didn't we agree to not mentioning this to dad? You're unbelievable! Do you really want to know why I don't want to have anything to do with this? I don't want to end up like you, married and pregnant before I'm 25. Hell, I don't even know if I want to get married, have kids and all that buzz. All I know is that I want to live before I lock myself behind the castle walls of marriage! "I screetch.

By the time I'm finished, I'm breathing hard and fully aware that I've hit below the gutter. The castle walls of marriage metaphor was one my mother always used whenever she was angry with dad and filling my head with accusations and words full of hatred directed at him.

I don't know if I can handle another fight so I leave everything as it is and go up to my room, locking the door behind me. How wrong of me to think that for one night we could have some peace and harmony.

The next day I get a call from my cousin Kate. She got married a little while ago and moved to L.A. quite the climatic change from Alaska, with her hubs that's been living and working there. We haven't seen one another in what seems like forever so I'm happy to hear her voice.

We update each other on what's new and I pour my heart out to her about the situation I'm in.

"Come to L.A. for a weekend! Maybe even this one! Show your parents what it's like without you. What it would be like if you were married! "She chirps through the phone. She's absolutely excited about her idea and I'm absolutely in love with her brain for coming up with this. What would I do without Kate?

"There's only one condition: I'm paying the plane ticket. I'll book a flight for Friday and will send you all the info via email, "she adds and I know that arguing is fruitless. Chances are she won't open her door for me if I don't agree to this. I had to find out the hard way. Excited and giddy we hang up and I start packing for a trip that is still 3 days away.

Never in my life would I have thought that I'd rather be at work than at home, but Renee makes everything possible. After Kate had e-mailed me the tickets for the flight to L.A. Yesterday, Renee went nuts. Did she really think she could forbid me from seeing my cousin after so long?

Wednesday is spent alternating between talks of L.A. that guy my mother wants to set me up with. The latter went in through one ear and out the other without registering in my brain though. Alice and I went to lunch on Thursday where I told her about my L.A. plans.

"All those clothing stores... Chanel, Versace, D&G, "Alice mused and I felt bad for not being able to drag the fashion addict along with me. I try to cheer her up by reminding her that we couldn't afford it anyway so why window-shop?

"Anyway, what's the newest update on the set-up situation? "she asks stuffing some mushroom ravioli into her mouth.

"Still the same. I'm afraid they'll invite him over for dinner everyday now and force me to interact with him that way, "I answer."I really can not understand your parents and I'm so sorry for you B. That's just not right. "

"That makes two of us A. Can't they see that there's no place for a man in my life right now? I don't really have a job; I don't even have a driver's licence let alone a car. There are far more important matters to tend to than finding a boyfriend! "My temper flares up and I fight to keep it under control. "Stay strong babe. It will all turn out just fine. You'll see, "she reassures me. It better or I'm in real danger of going insane.

On Friday morning I wake up to a ringing phone. Rosalie has sent me a message late last night, apparently informed about my trip to LA, requesting a meet-up. Sighing I put the phone away and wonder if I can get out of this by pretending I never got the message. Rosalie and I go a while back; years before our cousins got married. Her mother has family in Forks, so when they were here on a visit 5 years ago, it was guaranteed we'd meet.

Our friendship was something that took me completely by surprise. After all we couldn't have been more different. Rosalie, the elegant girly girl with long blonde hair and striking blue eyes. The fact that she made her money with said looks; and very successfully at that, earned her the title of Miss Arrogant in our little community. Personally, I never witnessed her behaving anything like that. Me on the other hand... clumsy tomboy with brown hair and brown eyes. Miss Boring should be my title.

And then there was this other issue. I needed to stay away from Rose as far as I could. No matter what.

I get ready to head to the Seattle Airport. Alice agreed to drive me there since I can't drive, Renee won't drive and Charlie's at work. The trip to Seattle is a great shopping opportunity for her so I guess that makes it a win-win situation.

Looking at the watch I speed up. Alice will be here shortly. Right on cue I can hear her car pull into the driveway early. God forbid, she'd be late. Grabbing my suitcase I climb down the stairs to greet her.

The drive to Seattle is fairly unspectacular. Landscape passes my window at a steady pace, trees blurring into one another in the process.

One would think that with all the distance put between me and my parental home I would somewhat distance myself from the pain I feel when I am there, but that's as far from the truth as I want to get away from them right now.

I feel so left alone. Not just now. Ever since I quit my job at Newton's one year ago because I could simply not take working there anymore. The contract ran out anyway and when I had to decide between being bound to the company for another full year or quitting there to look for a better opportunity, I didn't hesitate to choose the latter. Sadly, that was not the right decision in my parent's eyes. That's what they've made sure to sometimes show, sometimes even tell me every day ever since.

The situation was far from more satisfying, but the job at Newton's was terrible, I had to keep reminding myself that I needed the money for college and that was the only thing that kept me going in the first place. What's a girl got to do if her parent's can't afford to send her to college? Financial aid or a scholarship was simply not an option for me.

Instead of blaming me, they should be happy to have a daughter that refused to take any of their money once she starting making her own. Can't they just accept the fact that I want more from life? That working at Newton's until I was old enough to retire was simply not enough?

Fighting about it with my egocentric mother is utterly unsuccessful though. She's always wished for more although she never thought of how to get there. Like things would happen only because you wished for them, not because you worked hard to get there. Her only concern has always been what people will think of her because of this or that. In this case, what people will say about her jobless daughter?

My dad on the other hand, could not be handling this situation more differently than her. He's been supporting me whenever he could, giving good advice s when needed and always despising the fact that I've had to work at Newton's to earn money for something he couldn't offer me. It's odd how this situation has brought us two closer together whilst separating me and my mother.

Before I know it, Alice pulls into the parking lot. I've been so lost in thought I almost slighted her most of the ride but my friend knows it was not on purpose, I just got lots of stuff on my plate right now.

Finally having reached our destination, it's time for us to say goodbye to each other for a few days.

God, I'll miss her.

**A/N**

_Do you think I fucking suck at writing yet? Please contact kiTT and Lisa (and anyone else who talked me into this; you know who you are) for any complaints you might have. Js._

_Also, I'm holding Chapter 2 Hostage until we get... 10 reviews? Don't embarass me Ladies!_


	2. I love LA

_A/N_

_I want to begin by declaring my love for my Beta Kymz and her amazing beta-skillz. __Also, she's beta'ed this so fast I was wondering whether she is a vampire. _

_Her huge dedication AND the fact that you guys simply OVERWHELMED me with the love you have for this story already were the reasons we needed to get this to you guys asap! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! NEVER did I dream this would happen. Honestly. I mean I was hoping I'd get 10 reviews and you guys tripled it!_

_WHOEVER IS READING THIS SENTENCE RIGHT NOW TOTALLY ROCKS AND I LOVE YOU!_

_Oh and since I totally forgot to mention it last chapter... Every chapter is going to be named after a fic I totally love and adore. I'll post the links and stuff on my authors page!_

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**Chapter 2: I love L.A.**

When I arrive at LAX I'm glad to see Kate already waiting for me, as usually she's always late. Usually I'm not a big hugger but when she wraps her arms around me I'm so full of nostalgia, there's nothing I can do but hug her back. I've missed her just as much as she's missed me.

We exchange the usual pleasantries on our way to the car, once outside a wave of heat hits me. Why did I not dress in something more suitable for the L.A.'s heat? Oh right, because the sun rarely shines in Forks thus it's always wet and cold there. God how I hate the wet and cold. Kate doesn't seem to care how out of place I look in my jeans and batman hoodie though and even if she does, she doesn't comment on it which is slightly more alarming really as knowing my cousin she's probably already plotting how to trade my winter attire with something more fitting. It's been a ritual of hers for years now to pretty me up whenever we'd get together. I guess this was her compromise for not having a younger sister. Likewise she was the closest thing to a sister I had ever had, let's just hope she wouldn't want to start with the ritual today.

Warm wind blows across my face, the windows of the white Toyota Prius rolled down. Kate smiles at me clearly content, just as we both always are when reunited. Coming to L.A. was the right decision, not because I had to get away from home to clear my mind; seeing my cousin again and having her calming and soothing aura envelop me, will help more than anything else could.

My cousin and her husband lived in a rather large house in Santa Monica. Under normal circumstances the drive there would've taken us only about half an hour according to Kate. Traffic was and I quote "a bitch though".

I stick my face out of the car window to take in my environment. L.A. was the crass opposite of Forks, sunlight, warmth, lots of cars and people out on the streets. All those were things you would never find in Forks. I found myself quite enjoying the change I was already drawn to this place like a moth to a flame.

We finally arrived at the beige and white painted building just over an hour later. Kate parks the car right next to what must've been her husbands blue BMW 528i. Due to my father's love for cars, I could spot car models from far away.

After climbing up the stairs into the main building, we find ourselves in the middle of the entry hall that is hidden behind a locked door. Closing said door behind me again, I look around. I knew my cousin made good money being a pharmacist and so did her architect husband – their home, the cars and their lifestyle a symbol of that, but they never made a big deal out of it or tried to rub it in. They owned everything they had for themselves and not to impress other people. The way I saw it, they've earned it all the hard way and deserved it all the more because of that.

The only time my cousin played the "I have money" card was to buy me things. I should've and did hate it but she can be very persistent and stubborn. If she wants to buy you something or pay something for you, she will or she won't let you buy it at all. The fact that she knew about our financial situation didn't really help to convince her otherwise. It had taken me ages to persuade her to cast away her "I'm going to pay for your education" idea. It's fine when she buys me a dress, or shoes or jewellery; even a day in the spa is fine that could still be classed as a present but paying my schooling? That was taking it a bit too far, I didn't need to profit from her hard work any more than I had to, too keep the peace.

My cousin leads me upstairs into the guest room with an ensuite bathroom to unload my luggage and get settled. The room I'll sleep in this weekend is strictly in white and taupe. The mirrored wardrobe is white, just as the bed and the two small cupboards on either side of it. The walls behind them are painted taupe, while the other two are white. The carpet is of that same brownish grey much like the bedclothes that only differ because of silver circles all over them.

For a moment I debate whether to go say hello to Garrett or take a shower first. I come to the conclusion that washing off the sweat my body is drenched in and changing my clothes before I face anyone is a better idea.

Taking the two different sized white towels at the end of the bed I smile to myself, Kate knows me oh so well.

I feel as if I've been reborn when I step out of the shower; it's the best feeling in the world. Putting on some clothes I brought with me I head downstairs.

Garrett's in his study obviously crazy busy so I just stick my head through the barely open door crack and give a small wave in greeting.

Someone's humming comes from what I suspect must be the kitchen and I follow it immediately. Sure enough Kate is in the kitchen, leaning over the stove to prepare dinner. Her eyes spark up in surprise when she sees me standing in the doorway.

"I thought you might want to take a nap after the shower. The travel must've exhausted you" she says eyes cast down, concentrating on the task at hand.

"Why waste quality time with my favourite cousin in the whole wide world for something I'll do more than enough when I'm dead? " I question walking towards her.

The shiny black material the kitchen is in looks kind of synthetic but very classy and the silver of the grips is a great touch of color. The refrigerator, the dishwasher and the oven are silver aswell which makes a great mix of colors. The big window by the sink illuminates the room just right. The stove is sat on a desk in the middle of the kitchen and I sit down on one of the leather covered chairs opposite of her.

Peeking over I'm delighted to see that she's cooking my favorite tonight Spaghetti Bolognese, her's in particular is to die for. She doesn't make meat balls but cooks the meat with the sauce and throws it all together making it a tasty mixture, what exactly is in said sauce though we'll never know.

Under her instructions I set the table for the three of us, persuaded by the smell of food Garrett joins us in the kitchen. He walks over to Kate lightly pecking her on the lips and asking what deliciousness is for dinner. She giggles and asks him how work is going. The two of them are just too cute for words and I have to smile to myself despite my disbelief in love.

Garrett carries the pot holding the spaghetti bolognese to the table, I take over filling each plate with the delicious smelling dish and Kate brings a bottle of red wine for Garrett to open before she fills our wine glasses with the burgundy liquid.

Without hesitation we sit down and eat, the food is simply divine and the wine is not bad either. Kate did an amazing job. The usual chit-chat accompanying dinner is absent, at least until Garrett speaks up.

"So Isabella, I hear you're in trouble? In more ways than one? "he asks innocently. The look he receives from Kate in answer speaks volumes, she's angry at him beyond words but for now she settles for kicking him under the table. He was not supposed to go there, I should be mortified about being asked this question and hurt that Kate told him such personal things to begin with, but oddly enough I am not. Of course she would tell Garrett, she can't keep her mouth shut when something is really bugging her and she cares about me like she does for her sister. If something was wrong with Tanya she would probably not be able to keep it to herself either. Besides, by the way Garrett asked the question I can tell that he doesn't have bad intentions.

"Well I still don't have a job and my mother is trying to set me up with a guy who publically admitted wanting to marry me. Does that qualify as trouble in more than one sense? "I ask in return playing around with the leftover sauce on my plate, a smile on my lips.

"Me telling you things doesn't mean you're supposed to know them! " Kate almost shouts at her husband, causing me to giggle. The situation is so surreal that I can't help but laugh, repeating her sentence in my head makes me laugh even harder. She raises her eyebrow in question and I laugh in answer. Once I have a hold of myself, I feel obliged to explain myself.

"That sentence should be in the Urban Dictionary or something. Definition: How women should end a conversation about things that are not theirs to tell. "Kate opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off."Before you even begin to explain yourself, let me tell you that there's no need to. It's ok, really. I promise I'm not mad at you. "

Just like that my cousin's world is alright again.

Kate and I are watching the Wedding Video in the living room, after the three of us cleaned up the mess that was the kitchen. Garrett got back to working on that important project he had to do, leaving only Kate and I to do as we pleased. Watching the the Wedding Video was the best idea we came up with.

Officially scheduling problems had kept me from coming which was partly true. Her wedding date fell on the last few days I was working at Newton's and could not under any circumstances take those days off. Mr Newton was paying me double the wage for that last month and I'd needed the money too badly to say no. Plus I thought I couldn't afford travelling to L.A. because I planned to go to college. It goes without saying that I couldn't tell Kate the whole truth. That didn't change how much I wished I had been there, especially now that I could see how beautiful everything had been. Including my cousin who looked gorgeous in her cream-white wedding dress. Like a princess, like she always dreamt of looking on that special day.

Garrett looked very much like the prince charming that deserved the woman standing beside him in his midnight-blue tux, skyblue tie and vest. They really made a gorgeous couple.

Their wedding was equally gorgeous. I watch as Kate and Garrett enter the hall, family and friends on both sides of a corridor that lead to their table. I watch as the multi- layered wedding cake enters the scene and they get up to make the first cut into it. I watch as they feed one another a taste of cake and hook their arms together to take a sip of champagne following that. As I continue to watch I get really upset that I couldn't be there. Somewhere in the crowd I spot Rose and her family. "They're related to Garrett. They're cousin's aswell, "my cousin explains quickly as if I didn't know already. How could I possibly forget something like that?

It's well after midnight when Kate turns the TV off and we say good night to each other. As I pass Garrett's door on my way to the guestroom I catch a flicker of light coming through the doorstep. How much does that man work?

Once in my room, I quickly strip off my clothes, putting on a simple pair of grey boy shorts and tank top to sleep in and snuggle under the covers of my bed.

Today's exhaustions finally catches up with me and I fall asleep after a few short moments.

Sunlight flooding through the windows is what wakes me in the morning, instead of my mothers usual rant about how worthless I am. As a result of this, I am a bit disoriented when I open my eyes at first. I can't remember the last time I woke up or slept this peacefully for that matter. Normally I have bigger problems falling asleep in another bed not so last night. Sleeping like a rock has done great things to me and my mood. Stretching my body, I rise out of bed ready to face the world. This is what I want to wake up like every day.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, I make my way through the rooms in search of my cousin. The living room is my first destination; no sight here. Is she even awake yet? She used to be an early riser as far as I could recall. I walk around the room thinking of where else she could possibly be.

Hushed giggles erupting from the kitchen give her away. Either she's in there or we have a really odd burglar in the apartment.

Stepping into the kitchen I'm relieved to find out that my first assumption is actually right, halfway at least. Kate is standing with her back towards the countertop facing Garrett who's leaning towards her, hands on either sides of her body. Every now and again, he pokes her in one of her sides and she begins to giggle again. Right now the two of them remind me very much of a high school quarterback cheerleader couple. They're that sickly sweet, only in an "Awww I wish I had what they have" type of way.

Standing here watching them makes me feel like a voyeur so I walk in with a "Good morning" coming over my lips automatically, startling the two of them.

"I thought about making pancakes this morning, good thing I waited for you to get up so you could eat them while they're still warm, "she beams at me and I know that she is up to no good. That beaming smile and pancakes for breakfast usually means one thing: We're going on a make-over spree later.

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**A/N**

_kiTT and Lisa (and anyone else who talked me into this; they know who they are) didn't contact me yet so the writing didn't suck last chapter. How about this one?_

_Now, since lots of you don't really like the idea of me holding chapters hostage... How about every reviewer shall get a sneak peek of Chapter 3 within 24 hours of reviewing? Does that sound better?_


	3. Million Dollar Baby

A/N

As usual, I shall begin with a love-declaration to my Beta Kymz and her amazing beta-skillz AND the newest addition to Team JSY: Marisol. Thanks for prereading this one and sharing your thoughts with me! [Btw I am still searching for 1 or maybe even 2 prereaders so if you're interested, let me know...]

The love you guys still have for this story is amazing and I am beyond happy (and sometimes sappy) that you are even spending your time reading it, let alone review it! Keep the love coming! It's the reason I am doing this.

WHOEVER IS READING THIS SENTENCE RIGHT IS TOTES SEXY AND I'D DO YOU!

Per tradition, I decided to name this Chapter "Million Dollar Baby" after my favourite fanfic by clpsuperstar aka C.L. Parker.

Now this is where it gets exciting:

MILLION DOLLAR BABY IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED AS A BOOK!

*squeals like a mofo*

And yes, I'll keep you updated on when you can finally pre-order it ;)

Until then, on with this story...

* * *

**Chapter 3: Million Dollar Baby**

Breakfast is over way too soon for my liking, apparantly Kate is in a hurry to get started. She takes me by the hand and leads me upstairs to get dressed for the day. It's the first time i've been in their room and it's super girly. How did she get her husband to agree to this?

There seems to be a pattern in the way the house is decorated. Basically every room is held in two colors and one of them always being white. In this case they've chosen white and raspberry. The window opposite the door is wide open and a fresh breeze comes in. To avoid a draft, I close the door behind me.

Kate opens the wardrobe which is of a shiny white material with a raspberry coloured strip dividing it into two parts. As I sit down on the white bed which is made of the same material as the wardrobe beside it along with the matching raspberry headboard, I look up at her in anticipation.

A royal blue chiffon dress is thrown at me, holding it out in front of myself to look at it properly i'm surprised by how pretty it is. I'm not usually into dresses, never have been and most probably never will be, but I can't take my eyes off of this one-shoulder dress with it's ruffled neckline and skirt.

"Don't even try to talk yourself out of this one Bella. You're going to wear it," my cousin warns with her back to me.

This dress is nothing compared to others she made me wear in past dress up sessions. I'm talking about pink dresses here. PINK! The one's that scream bimbo from far, far away. Fortunately, her preference for pink was just a phase. She still likes bright colors but she's traded pink for rose in her colour palette. Guess we all have to grow up someday and get rid of those pink princess clothes.

"I don't have the right bra for this type of dress though," I tell her matter-of-factly.

In a matter of seconds a strapless black bra is on my head.

Taking off my jeans and t-shirt, I struggle my way into the dress after having put on my borrowed bra. Why are one-shoulder pieces of clothing so weird to put on? It feels as if you got it wrong at first when one of the shoulders is uncovered. Good thing my bare left shoulder is the more beautiful of the two.

Once I'm dressed, my cousin knots a black silky ribbon into a bow right on my waist. That little extra does wonders to my figure in this dress, all of a sudden I have boobs, hips and an ass. It's almost as if my body was already an hourglass and the ribbon is accentuating the slimmest part.

My outfit is completed by a pair of black pumps that resemble the bow material wise. Testing out my new footwear, I walk up and down the room resembling a penguin rather than a human. I'm not used to walking in high heels and it's clearly showing but at the same time I know that I won't get away with flats.

After doing such a great job putting together my outfit, Kate starts on hers. She decides on a red etui dress and nude pumps. Next thing I know we're ready to go, not bothering with our hair or make-up since we're on our way to get it done anyway.

We stick our heads into the living room to say goodbye to Garrett before continuing our way to the car.

The garage gate opens before us after Kate pushed a button once we sat in the car. Our first destination is a beauty salon owned by a friend of my cousin in Beverly Hills.

"I figured that we'd get our hair done first, then make-up and last but certainly not least, a mani-pedi before we do some shopping," she informs me almost squealing. It's funny how she still gets so excited over something we've done just like this for years now. The location change surely is to be blamed for this. We're not in Seattle this time after all. Beverly Hills seems a bit... busy. Lots of people, lots of cars, lots of shops and lots of palm trees. It seems as if everything it has to offer has been concentrated on in one space. The car comes to a stop as Kate announces we've arrived.

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Angel's Beauty Salon lies right in the heart of Beverly Hills in a two storey building with every floor dedicated to a different department. You can get your hair done on the ground floor, facial treatments on the first floor and your nails will be taken care of on the second floor. Angela, a women who looks more like a sexy secretary with the super sleek long black hair, Rayban glasses along with a highwaisted black skirt and white blouse, than a woman who owns a beauty shop. She personally welcomes us with Champagne glasses, Kate and her must be really good friends or Kate simply spends lots of money here.

"Kate, darling, so happy to see you again!" she greets with a huge smile on her face as they kiss the air beside each others cheeks.

"You brought a friend!" she continues, eyeing me curiously.

"Ang, this is my cousin Bella. Bella, this is my good friend Angela." my cousin introduces, waving her hands back and forth.

I shake hands with Angela and try to smile politely at her.

She guides us to the two stations she's reserved for us and excuses herself for a moment. Beside me, Kate is driving her fingers through her locks while looking at herself in the mirror.

Moments later, Angela is back and she has brought company. The plus one introduces herself as Jess, short for Jessica. I immediately like her, not because she prefers to go with a nickname just like I do but because with her petite figure, auburn hair and green eyes she seems like a genuinely sweet person. She frees my hair out of the bun it's been in and examines it with her fingers.

"You have really great hair, Bella. What do you say about some blonde highlights to make it look brighter and a layered haircut to add a bit of an edge to your hairstyle?" she asks looking at me in the mirror expectantly. "Work your magic Jess! Don't even bother asking her!" Kate yells in answer.

Earlier makeovers have shown me that arguing is really just a waste of time and air so all I do now is ask for a magazine, or something else to keep me occupied.

Jess leaves to prepare the color and some aluminium foil, this will be the first time I'll be a blonde. Hopefully I won't look too bad as one.

I can hear Jess rolling the wagon with the supplies she needs towards me. She hands me some fashion magazine that surely has more pictures than articles and starts dividing my hair into sections.

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One hour later and some of my hair is in the foil with cotton in between the layers and I look like the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. I look beside me at Kate. Why do the usual rules of the universe never apply to her? She still looks fucking fabulous! Life's unfair sometimes.

My cousin decided to get highlights too, although hers will be a bit darker than her current hair color.

Taking off her gloves, Jess suggests we could get started with the manicure as we have to wait at least half an hour for the result. An elevator lifts the four of us onto the second floor. Sitting down onto one of the seats, I put both my hands on the clean towel that lies on the table in front of me, almost ashamed of them. I might not bite my fingernails but the skin around said nails is a whole other story.

"You really have beautiful hands, Bella," Jess compliments. I blush in response, not used to nice words and thank her.

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"I think it's time to wash it out" Jess says after opening one of the foils to examine the dyeing process. She managed to manicure my fingers in half an hour. The only thing left to do is paint the tips of the nails with white and the rest in an almost transparent rose polish.

I lean my head into the hollow of the sink and Jess begins to slowly and tentatively free my hair from the foil and cotton. She has to shampoo my hair twice to get the colour out properly. After checking in with me, she kneads a hair mask into my lengths and five minutes later she washes it out.

With a towel on my head I walk back to my seat, and my hair is being towel dried, brushed and divided into sections again. I didn't even dare look at myself yet, afraid I'd drop dead at how terrible I might find the change. I probably won't look until it's all over either so I skim through another magazine and let Jess do her work.

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My hair has been dyed, cut and blow dried straight and has had loose curls added when I'm lead one floor higher to get my make-up done next. I still have not seen myself in the mirror but Kate has and by the way she barely contained that squeal it must be ok.

Angela smiles at me as she passes our make-up station, patting Jess on the back. It takes all the willpower I have to not just turn my head and look into the mirror on the right side of the high bar stool I'm sitting on. Jess looks at me pleased with her work aswell as wondering how to complete her masterpiece. At least that's what she mumbles.

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"Yes, she arrived yesterday. We're getting prettied up in Ang's salon right now then some shopping is scheduled." Kate is talking to someone on the phone and I'm afraid I know who's on the other end.

"Sure Rose! She's getting her nails polished right now so she can't take the phone but I'll make sure to forward the message to her. You want to pick her up or should I just drop her off?"

She nods and "mhm"s too much for my liking. More importantly, she ignores my obvious disapproval. Isn't mimicking to cut your throat with your fingers the universal sign for "NOOOO!?"? Well it could be translated into "I'll kill you" aswell but that's not what I meant before even though I do want to do that now.

Oblivious to that, Kate turns to me and says "Rose said she wants to go out with you tonight. I figured you could use that ya know? Going out, having fun. Plus it would be a great opportunity to work the new look! I'll drop you off at the arranged location after our extra short shopping spree. I don't want to tire you beyond limits."

Sometimes I could seriously kill Kate.

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The woman in the mirror is a stranger. I don't know her, I really don't. Fine vanilla blonde strands pervade her ash brown hair and the loose curls frame her face perfectly. The brown eyeshadow accentuates the chocolate tone of her eyes, the flawless peachy skin of her face is only interrupted by a hint of red on the cheeks and the cotton candy pink lipgloss makes her lips plump and full.

I turn to Kate first, seeking for confirmation that the woman looking back at me in the mirror is not just an illusion. When she does not react, I turn to Jess who seems to get what I need right now and pinches me lightly into my underarm. That little contact is enough to wake me from my trance like state. My hands are rummaging through my hair then touching my face, cautious to not destroy anything but desperately needing to make sure this is real. I smile as wide as I can spread my lips and in a rush of pure euphoria, hug Jess.

"Oh my god! You've made me so pretty," I squeal.

Jess hugs me back and replies "You were already pretty when you came here, I just helped it come to the surface."

Next on my first and hopefully last "People I need to hug" list is Kate who does a little happy dance with me. Last but not least I hug Angela. Thank god for her salon.

Being all prettied up is like being freshly showered, you feel as if you were reborn. There's only one difference: showering doesn't necessarily give you the confidence boost a make-over does.

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Kate gets her way on lots of things but this one was something I wouldn't let her have. We're in the H&M store looking for something for me to wear tonight. I would've been totally fine with the dress I have on right now but Kate insisted.

The only rule I established after our first ritual was that we would only shop in stores that are affordable for "normal" people, in other words maximum 50$ per piece of clothing. In return she enforced the "3 outfit" policy.

Alternating between looking at me and picking clothes that she holds in front of me, Kate has 3 outfits together faster than one could say "Kate you're the fastest marathon shopper out there". Kate drags me into the changing room, hanging the clothes, accessories and underwear on the hooks behind us.

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Fifteen minutes later we've decided to buy the short white dress with black lace flowers over it. The high-necked, short-sleeved top is skintight and the skirt's blown up like a balloon. From all the three dresses I had to try on, this was the most bearable. The strapless coral dress simply had too many ruffles and the pale pink dress with lace simply did not look good on me. Still, there's no way I'll wear the dress we picked to go out. Guess that only means: One outfit down, two more to go.

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The Forever 21 Store we stop at next can be described in one word: huge! I feel like I'm in a mall rather than a clothing store. As expected, Kate rushes to the dress section first and grabs a white dress.

"Really K? Another dress? I'm not really into them, ya know? Plus I have no use for them back home in Forks," I remind her. Please not another dress, I groan inwardly.

"Well makeovers are not inevitably about what you can wear under normal circumstances, ya know? Besides, you never take on the style I give you anyway," my cousin objects, still leading us away from anything that offers too much legroom. She picks up a purple-ish dress on her way though.

Turns out she's just as fast at shopping when she has another target than dresses. She snatches up a nude pair of shorts and shirt, a black leather jacket and mutters something about a pair of black and white sneakers she has that would go quite well with it.

In the changing room we begin the same procedure as earlier today, beginning with the outfit that does not consist of a dress. This one's a real winner because it looks good with high heels and sneakers.

I try the short white dress on second and am surprised by the feminine elegancy that encompasses me when wearing it, It's puffy sleeves reach to my elbow and the material being a great combination of skintight and stretchy. My cousin fastens a black belt around my waist again and makes it complete.

The eggplant coloured asymmetrical draped jersey dress is a whole n other story altogether. It's really weird to put on because it just has too many layers of clothes on it and one sleeve is long while the other has no sleeve at all, just a thick strap. When I finally manage to put it on with Kate's help though I am absolutely irrevocably in love with it. It suits my skintone and my figure in ways I didn't even know possible. This one is definitely going into our shopping bag.

Now which one of the remaining two will I pick?

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Realization that I have not eaten since breakfast hits me when my stomach growls. Hope wherever Kate is driving me to has something to eat on it's menu as well. Kate said that in order to keep up with Rose, I had to wear the eggplant-colored dress. She really does not play fair sometimes, playing with my insecurities and all.

It's really dark as the car comes to a stop in front of a gigantic golden shining building. Judging by the three white letters above the wooden entryway, this is the "KOI". Above the letters, there are three of what I think must be buddhas sitting, the very right one using his hands to close his eyes, the one in the middle closing his ears and the one on the far right closing his mouth. This image triggers something in me but I just can't put my finger on what right now. Two plants on the edges of the entrance round out the picture.

My cousin fishes her mobile phone out of the handbag and dials Rose.

"Do you want us to... Mhm. Mhm. Yeah, sure... but you are coming, right?" she looks at me and nods a few more times before she hangs up.

"B, Rose is running a bit late but she said she reserved a table for Cullen. Do you want us to wait for her in the car or do you want to go in and sit down at the table?" she asks.

"Naaaw I'll go in, you go home and rest. Rose is gonna get me home right?" "That was the deal. I'll wait until you return, so just give me a call when you're there and I'll open the door for you." "Sure thing K. Laters!" I hop out of the car into the bar and leave Kate shouting for me to have fun behind me.

A distant feeling of discomfort creeps it's way into me and replaces the confidence the prettying up has given me.

"Hi, a table reserved for Cullen?" I ask the receptionist, inwardly cursing myself for sounding insecure.

"Sure, follow me this way please" she replies, a look of pity briefly flickering over her face before she has it under control again. The korean looking woman leads me into a lounge and shows me to a table.

I gasp at the sight before me and turn around to her, almost panicking.

"There must be a mistake," I hear myself say, looking back at him to make sure it was not just a mirage.

* * *

A/N

As much as you're going to say you hate cliffies, I know you secretly love them, don't you? Right? Let me know in the reviews.

Since I am not thaaat evil every reviewer shall get a sneak peek of Chapter 4 within 24 hours of reviewing. I knew there was a way I could make up for the cliffhanger...

Also, can we make it to 75 reviews this time? Pretty pretty please? *insert innocent puppy look here*


	4. Darkness

_A/N_

_As usual, I'll start off by reminding my awesome beta and soul-sister Kymz that I love her. Thank you for continuing this journey with me! _

_Huge thanks to Sol (thank you for sticking with me) and the newbies in Team Just Say Yes: Annie (who seems to know just exactly what is going on in my head) and Virginie [aka daydreamingfairy] who does not only write awesome smut but also gives really useful advice._

_ Thank you trés much Team Just Say Yes! #TeamJSYftw_

_Now this Chapter is really personal to me for two reasons: 1 - I found a way to mention a really dear friend who unfortunately left us waaay too early and 2 - the date this is being posted is one day before the 2 year anniversary of her death. ='(_

_Aini, we love you, we miss you, everyday._

* * *

**Chapter 4: Darkness**

I knew coming here was a bad idea. The feeling in my stomach when I got out of the car told me so. Why did I let Kate talk me into this? Why did I not wait with her in the car until Rose was here? And why is she not here yet, but he is?

Suddenly remembering my manners I repeat myself, quieter this time.

"I'm sorry. There must be a mistake. The table was for _Miss_ Rosalie Cullen. I was supposed to meet with _her_."

The woman with the sleek black bob looks surprised and confused by my request.

"No mistake there Aini. She's supposed to sit at our table" a voice behind me says, directed at the hostess but causing me to shiver violently. I close my eyes in a desperate attempt to resist the undeniable pull I still feel towards him. The same pull that got me into trouble in the first place. Yet, I can't help the feelings he evokes inside of me, even now I can feel his presence in the room and his eyes on me.

A dark haired guy in dark jeans and a short-sleeved sea blue shirt that sets off the green of his eyes sitting beside him gets up from his seat and comes closer. He extends his hand to me in greeting and speaks up.

"Hi, I'm Jasper, a friend of Rose's. I'm sorry, you were clearly expecting to be alone with her…." he offers nicely, and I just shake my head to tell him I don't mind.

" You must be... Kate's cousin?" He continues. "Rose might be a bit late, as usual, but she will be here anytime soon," he smiles a 100 Watt smile that somehow looks artificial against his sun-kissed skin. I only nod in answer and squeak out my name in answer as he kisses the back of my hand.

In what I can only hope is a protective gesture, he puts his hand on the small of my back carefully and leads me to the table, earning us a dirty look from the person already occupying it. Jasper's hand drops quickly from my back to his side, his other one motioning to the young man across from us.

"Bella, this is Edward. Edward, may I introduce you to Bella?" he comments beaming at me.

The introduction, as nice as it was, was completely unnecessary. We've known each other for a while now. At least judging from the grim look on his face he seems to remember me.

An awkward silence ensues as we stare each other down, my hand courteously extended towards him as if we've really just met for the first time only to be cut off by Jasper offering me a chair to sit down. I do just that and am pleasantly surprised when he pushes my chair in as I sit down. The stare Edward and I were holding until then was interrupted by me turning to thank Jasper for his gentlemanly act.

Looking back at Edward feels too awkward so I look down at my entwined fingers over the black clutch on my lap instead. Before another embarrassing silence threatens to take over, Jasper breaks it by asking "How come I've never seen you around here darling? I mean your cousin is married to our bro Garrett so one would think that Kate dragged you with her on one of her many visits to L.A.?"

He winks at me and an evil plan begins to form in my mind.

"I think she might've been too embarrassed to be seen with me," I half-jokingly answer.

"I don't see a reason for her to feel that way. Wanna hear my theory? She knew she couldn't keep up with you look-wise and was afraid Garrett would leave her for you," he grins. What a charmer!

Before I can kindly but firmly set him straight, Edward speaks up.

"Jazz, you shouldn't talk this disrespectfully about a married man and his wife."

No idea how Jasper is going to defend himself but he still tries.

"Aw man, I was just joking," he pats Edward on the back before he continues, "Everyone and their dog can see how crazy they are about each other. It's blindingly obvious."

Someone from behind me covers my eyes with their hands and I barely manage to stiffle a scream at the unexpectedness of it.

"You have three guesses. Who am I?" a female voice sing-songs, giving her identity away with the sound of her undisguised voice.

"Is your name Rumpelstiltskin?" I ask. She hums a no.

"Are you a lesbian pornstar who wants to ask me out on a date?" I try.

"You do look hot Bella, but no amount of female hotness could make me play for the other team," she clarifies.

I get up from my seat and turn to her in a second then, squealing her name and hugging her since it's already been way too long. By now I've already hugged more people in the last 2 days I've been in L.A. than I have in my entire life.

"Bells, look at you! Why Kate became a pharmacist instead of a stylist is something I will never comprehend. Though I have to admit that she had a really easy job in your case. Personal beauty makes her task a lot easier," she compliments before sitting down next to me.

Rosalie's long, blonde, wavy hair reaches all the way to the middle of her back now which means she must've cut it a bit shorter since the last time we saw one another. The blood red mini cap sleeved bandage dress she's wearing hits just above the knee. Her hazel eyes are one of a kind, it's like they always sparkle with happiness.

"I need a Bella update. Fill me in?" she prompts.

"Nothing new, Rose. Basically the same old. Mum is still annoying me about the same topics so Kate invited me to come to L.A."

"Well, at least you make the best of the situation," she gives me a pitying look that I really wish she would not.

"How are you doing Rose?" I ask to divert the attention away from me and onto her.

"Good, good. I'm studying International Business at the UCLA now. Modelling is great and all but what if I won't be able to do it anymore?" she replies.

"That's great copycat! I'm really happy for you!" I tell her and mean it. "Even though you totally stole my life plan," I add with a wink.

"Yeah, I'm really excited myself and why does it surprise you that I did? It's no secret I'd trade places with you in a nano-second, without blinking twice" she claims.

I contemplate whether I should tell her just how fucking perfect my life is but decide against it. This is no pity party after all.

"Ladies, I know you haven't seen each other for a long time and need to catch up but can I intrude for a moment? How about we order already?" Jasper asks into the round.

"Oh yes please. I'm starving!" Rose exclaims and then turns to me to add "I'm so inconsiderate! I hope Sushi is ok? If not, I'm sure they have other food too?"

"The truth is, I don't know. It's something I've never tried" I admit to her, in hopes that she will tell me what's good here.

"You've never... had Japanese? You're certainly missing out on something Bella! The baked scallops on California roll are delicious and you must try Sake. Tell me you'll give it a go" Jasper gives me a puppy look that makes it impossible to say no. This must be his most lethal weapon, I think to myself and nod at his suggestion.

"I'm totally at your mercy. You pick for me, I'll just eat."

A woman approaches and comes to a halt behind me, taking the order. Not one of them has looked at the menu, I figure that they must come here so often they don't need to anymore.

Edward has been absent from the conversation, totally distracted by his own thoughts apparantly. What occupies his mind so intensely that he's ignoring his surroundings so deeply I come to the conclusion that whatever it is, it's not my business. He's probably only making plans about how to get laid tonight, while making a brooding impression.

The remaining three of us chit-chat about everything and nothing until the food and beverages arrive.

All four plates look quite alike. The food is centered on the square and flat white porcelain plates. A see through carafe with several ice cubes and a few slices of lemons is set on the middle of the table and each of us gets a glass set beside their plates. The waitress fills the glasses with water before she returns and sets a bamboo tray with four porcelain sake cups and one porcelain sake carafe on the table in front of us. The red blossom pattern on the carafe and cups makes a striking contrast to the shiny white background.

She sets one cup in front of each of us and begins to fill them one by one. I take mine into my right hand and inspect it closely, these must be the smallest cups I've ever seen. They're as small as egg cups and someone who didn't know any better could easily mistake them that's for sure.

I can't figure out what exactly is on my plate. I do recognise some rice and vegetables but I can't make out what's hidden under the sheet of burned crust. Not being able to tell what I'm eating should make me more suspicious, in this case it does not. After all, I have no idea if this is what it's supposed to look like or not.

We dig into our food the others eagerly, myself rather hesitantly. The mass in my mouth turns and turns again, not making the taste of it better however. My eyes wander around the table, trying to decide whether I can spit into my napkin without anyone noticing or whether I should just swallow the bite. It becomes the latter since I catch a fleeting look in my direction from Edward who quickly averts his eyes when I do so.

He's changed a bit since the last time I saw him. What once was dirty blonde messy hair, now has a few honey coloured strands in it, but they're too irregular to be man-made. If they are, someone needs to sue the person who is responsible for this.

I've never seen Adonis but if I had to describe him, I would probably describe him as having a chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, a straight nose and perfect full lips – the lower one being a bit fuller than the upper. Long story short, I would describe him as the person sitting diagonally opposite me. How such a perfectly sculpted face like this can belong to a man like him will always remain a mystery though.

The clump in my mouth only goes down with a lot of water. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever had in my mouth. Even after half a glass of water I can't get rid of the taste in my mouth, so I grab the sake cup and down it's content in one go, which earns me curious glaces from Jasper and Rosalie. I can only hope I'm not making a faux pas by drinking before anyone else did. Not that I would've cared a few moments ago.

I almost make my next error as soon as the alcohol is in my mouth. Turns out using it as some sort of drinkable mouthwash is not the best idea I ever had. Next thing I know, my mouth is on fire and I am in accute danger of snorting everything out through my nose. By some sort of miracle I manage to push the liquid down my throat. While it burns all the way through it, I'm almost positive that a burning throat is better than a burning nose and the shame of snorting all over the table and possibly Edward and/or Jasper. Almost. With that, a seemingly endless circle of eating in an attempt to ease the burn, drinking lots to swallow the food and washing the taste out of my mouth with sake begins.

After about five rounds I'm stuffed, about to throw up and way past tipsy. I push my still almost full plate away from me to signal that I've had enough.

"I'm fully aware that you need to watch how much you eat in order to keep up a killer bod like yours but c'mon Baby B, that's barely enough even for someone on a diet," Jasper comments.

The giggle that errupts from me in answer to his compliments is so unlike at me for two reasons: First, I don't giggle like a schoolgirl and second, Actually I don't giggle at all. Ever.

Somewhere in the back of my mind it registers that I'm making one serious slip after the other, at the same time I can't avoid doing it. Maybe it's for the better and Rose will finally realize what a nutjob I am and back off.

When I get my giggles under control again, the others just smile at me the way I always must've at drunk friends. Even Edward's brooding mask seems to falter. I catch a glimpse of how one corner of his mouth lifts slighty, forming a small lopsided grin. Oh, how I've always loved that smile.

"Sooo..." Jasper tries again, all eyes back on him. He takes a sip of sake from his cup before he continues.

"A beautiful young woman like you sure must be taken, right?"

Just like that all eyes are on me.

Except mine. They're staring back at Jaspers' green ones, mouth agape in shock. If I didn't know better, I would think he is hitting on me but he probably only wants to tease me a bit. Guys always had a habit for doing that to me.

I take a breath to regain my composure. How am I even supposed to answer this?

Before I can embarrass myself by saying something idiotic, Rose interjects.

"It's a shame, isn't it? Pretty girls like her shouldn't be single. It's a total waste!"

My cheeks heat up at their compliments as I stare down at the food on my plate and move it from side to side with the silverware in my hand.

It's a shame that I'm 21 and still never even had a boyfriend, isn't it? I'm such a freak of nature.

Instead of hosting a pity party, I decide to do what I always do in unconfortable situations like these; Be self-ironic and maybe let the sarcastic bitch I usually keep locked away out.

"I give you an hour until you're as irritated with me as many guys before you have been. Not that I'm complicated, I'm simply annoying."

As the words leave my mouth I put on my most charming smile, or what I assume my most charming smile is.

Rose shoots me a deathly glare while Jasper laughs and Edward is picking at his food, obviously not even interested in this conversation.

"You wanna know what her problem actually is? She's the most self-conscious person on the planet and more afraid of the commitment a relationship would bring than some people are of death! Don't you even dare deny it Isabella."

Wow. She acts like it's my fault my mother let me grown up with the belief that the first relationship you get yourself into has to be your last, just because it was like that for her. Don't even get me started on how a woman is supposed to fully give herself to the man; becoming a housewife and having kids instead of getting educated or chasing after one's dreams.

While I am fully aware that this is not the case in relationships anymore nowadays, I still can't find a way to rid myself of the gigantic hedge-like walls that have grown into a labyrinth around the already existing walls I had built around myself as a result of my mother planting the seeds into my head.

"Well she is not the only one afraid of commitment. Or not interested in it." Jasper replies with a cheeky grin and a wink in my direction, just before he quickly glances at Edward.

Way to go Rose. Thanks for making me look like a slut. "Is your mother still trying to get you to date whatshisname?" Rose asks while taking a bite of her dish. I only humm in answer, more than ready to drop this topic already.

Unfortunately for me, Rose has a habit of upsetting my plans. Thus she continues with "Well you would've saved yourself all of this trouble, if you had shown some interest in men before B. Can't say I blame your mum for wanting to make sure you're into men."

I'm torn between explaining my mothers exact motives to her or just letting it go. She wouldn't understand anyway.

Jasper is looking back and forth between me and Rose as if he was watching a tennis game. It's so extremely unnerving, I wish he was more like Edward who shows no interest in interacting with us whatsoever.

A few silent minutes pass and just when I let myself believe that Rose let go of the topic, she brings it right back up again.

"It's not that I can't understand you Bella, really I can. But what I don't understand is you shielding yourself off from new acquaintances. It's like you're afraid of people, or getting to know them."

"You forgot finding out I might actually like it. Look Rose, I really don't mean to offend you but stop telling me what to do when you have no idea how I feel or what situation I am really in. The woman that likes to call herself my mother doesn't want me to simply get to know people or to find me a boyfriend. Nooo! She wants me to marry the guy. I'm so desperate at this point, I'm trying to figure out a way how to get any random guy to agree on what I like to call an alibi marriage. A marriage that will only exist on paper and when the parents come to visit. Otherwise he's free to live his life and I am living mine. No commitment, No problems, No stress."

Only full concentration and determination are keeping me from emptying my stomach contents at this point. I've done enough embarrassing things for one night, no need to add throwing up to that list.

I close my eyes and purposely breathe in and out. Deep breaths in through my nose and long breaths out of my mouth. No idea how many times I do this before Rosalie announces that we should probably get going.

I get up from my seat on wonky legs and start for the door. Clumsy as I usually am anyway and enhanced by the alcohol in my blood stream, I keep stumbling until Rose asks Edward to lift me up and carry me to the car. Hadn't it been for the pumps Kate made me wear, I would've been able to walk myself. Damn her and her undying will to change me into something I am not.

Edward lifts me onto his shoulder, much like a caveman probably would, holding my legs in front of him and my upper body dangling behind his back. If I extended my hands just a little bit, I could grab his ass and then blame it on the alcohol afterwards.

He puts one of his hands just under my skirt, to hold it in place I suppose and hugs my calves to his body with his other arm.

Sadly the upside down position only serves to help my food come back up. The "I am so going to throw up" situation gets so bad, the strongest willpower on earth couldn't keep it at bay. I need a bathroom, stat. I struggle against Edward to let me go, shouting and kicking him to make my point clear.

He lets me slide down the front of his body, letting me feel it's well toned nature. That's another difference between the old Edward and the new Edward right there, his once boyish but still lean and strong body has become well toned, formed and more muscular. At least from what I can tell.

I am speechless for a moment before my mouth fills with saliva, alarming me of the impending vomit coming up and I stumble to the bathrooms I saw when I was lead to the table. Rose is at my side, leading my stumbling self. While I'm eternally grateful for her presence, I'm also afraid I'm going to throw up on her.

Despite me being disabled by shoes I can't walk in and being trashed by too much to drink, we make it to the toilets and into a bathroom stall before I hurl my insides into the toilet bowl.

If I thought the alcohol flowing down my throat burned, then it coming back up is hell. I cough and hurl and cough and hurl until I'm only dry heaving and gasping for air. Never in my life have I wished to be dead. Seems like there's a first for everything.

After a few more minutes, I get out of the stall, passing Rose on my way to the sinks. I rinse my mouth and wash my face as well as I can in my condition, giving up when I smear my make-up much worse than the tears accompanying my vomiting have.

"Sheesh, Bella, are you feeling better?" Rose asks, even though I should be asking her that after she just held back my hair while I threw up.

"I'm fine Rose, really. I just need to sleep it off," I shrug instead.

After another five minutes we stumble out of the bathroom. Jasper and Edward are by our sides immediately and we head outside into the fresh air together. Edward leaves us to get the car and we look around while we wait.

The air has cooled down quite a bit, making me shiver. There's one thing the air does not do though; it doesn't help against the sickness I still feel in my stomach. The reason I fled the toilets so fast was because I had hoped that a little bit of fresh air would make me feel better, now I regret that decission.

My sight focuses and unfocuses again, my surroundings blurring together and separating into multiple versions of itself. When numerous times of blinking do nothing to improve my sight, I begin to panic. I'm not going to pass out, am I?

Edwards car stops in front of us just when the ground comes closer to me, faster than I would like it to.

What follows is complete darkness.

* * *

So the mystery has been solved. I hope the one's of you screaming for Edward are now satisfied ;)

Reviews are love and since I was alone on Valentine's Day, I am very needy when it comes to love, so leave me some! Pretty please with Edward on top?

P.s. No next chapter until we get to 100 reviews. You might call me evil, but I know we can do this!

The more you review, the sooner you get the next Chapter,

B


	5. Remembering Sunday

_A/N_

_I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL (and I'm pretty sure that in some country it is)._

_I asked for 100 reviews and you gave me 105! And what lovely reviews I received, my oh my..._

_Thank you all very very much. I appreciate it more than I can express in any of the languages I am able to speak._

_Speaking of appreciation:_

_Kymz, thank you for your ultra-fast like a lightning beta-job on this badboy. You make the chapters sound so wonderful!_

_A fruit basket goes to Sol, Annie and Virginie. I would give everything I had to have an awesome team like you having my back! _

_Thank you trés much Team Just Say Yes! #TeamJSYftw_

OH, and happy belated International Women's Day ladies! =D

* * *

**Chapter 5: Remembering Sunday**

The ceiling above me is foreign. It's the second day in a row that I wake up disoriented and unsure of where I am. This better not become something I should get used to.

I can feel someone shift beside me and I risk a look to see just who it is. Edward is sitting on a bench on the far right side of the room leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him and his head cast slightly downwards. He looks so peaceful and content like this. It's almost as if he is an entirely different person when he sleeps.

Dim light shines in from the windows to the left, making the mornings' arrival known. I look around the room, trying to make out where I could possibly be. This sure can't be a regular room somewhere. It's way too... clinical for that. Clinic! That's it! I must be in a hospital. But why? How did I get here? And why does my mouth feel so gross? My mind comes up blank when I try to scan it for further information on last nights' events. I can only remember Edward driving up and then... nothing. A stabbing pain on the right side of my forehead makes me raise my hand to touch the spot. Oddly enough, it's bandaged. Weird, really really weird.

The tube attached to my right arm is alarming, luckily I must've been passed out when they inserted the needle. The tube leads to a sachet with clear liquid hanging above my head. A gray squared box is clasped around the index finger of my left hand, the cord coming out from it leads to a monitor with lots of numbers and curves. One of them surely must be the pulse what the others mean will most probably forever remain a secret to me. This whole situation is really bizarre. Just when I begin to ponder on whether to wake Edward and demand some answers or wait for him to wake up, the door opens and Rosalie comes in.

"Bells, you're awake. How are you feeling?" she whispers before taking a sip of that delicious smelling coffee in her cup. There's nothing like Starbucks in the morning "My body hurts all over, as if I had been punched by everyone in L.A. but other than that, I'm alright. Oh and the blanks in my memory when I try to remember last night are kinda bothering me" I reply in hope that she will understand this as a prompt to fill in said blanks.

"All in due time B, all in due time. Let me go call the doc first" and with that she's gone while I'm left with sleeping beauty. Did he, by any chance spend the whole night here? No surely not, he most likely fell asleep over there and Rose felt bad waking him up, I know I would've. How can you disturb someone who looks like an angel when he sleeps? Or at least what I imagine angels to look like.

I need to stop that kind of thinking right away. Rose comes back with an attractive blonde and blue-eyed doctor in tow and I desperately wish I looked better than I probably do right now. "Miss Swan. How are you feeling today? You scared us all quite a bit last night" he says in the sexiest voice I've ever heard come out of a mans' mouth, stunning me into silence for a moment or two. Or five.

At least enough for him to start speaking again. "Miss Cullen here tells me that you've lost your memory of last night, is that true?"

When I close my dried out mouth, I realize that I must've kept it agape while shamelessly ogling him. Embarassed by that realization, I'm quick to answer him. What did he ask again? Ok, now I know.

"I'm fine, besides my body being sore and yes, there's definitely a blackout in my head when it comes to last night."

He comes to the left side of my bed, looking at the monitor before taking out a flashlight from his left doctors' coat pocket and shining into my left and then into my right eye. Once he is done with that, he raises the long and beautiful index finger of his right hand and asks me to follow it. Then, he asks me to turn my head all the way to the left and then back to the right. When I do so, my eyes lock with Edwards'. How long has he been awake and looking?

"I think it's safe to say that we can let you go home now. The CT scans came back just fine but if you get a headache, you feel sick or anything like that please consult a doctor" he smiles at me, shakes my hand and leaves.

As soon as he is out of the room, a nurse appears to rid me of the machinery I was attached to.

"I brought some of my clothes because I was almost positive you wouldn't want to wear something rather uncomfortable as a dress after a night like the one we've had" she utters, fishing a paperbag from under the hospital bed and handing it to me. I don't think I've never been more thankful for sweatpants and a hoodie than I am right now.

Edward gets up from his bench mumbling to Rose that he will wait in the car on his way out of the room and I get up to change into my comfy clothes after the door clicks closed.

"So when are you going to tell me just what exactly happened last night?" I ask casually, secretly wondering if it is something so bad she can't tell me.

"I'll tell you at Kate's alright? Let's get you out of her and into her arms first. She thinks you slept over at our apartment so we still have to tell her the truth aswell" she takes a deep sigh. It better mean she regretts lying to Kate.

I'm not sure how I feel about her telling my cousin the truth, but if she thinks it's better to tell her the truth instead of letting her believe a lie then the truth can't be that bad, right? I'm clinging to that hope.

When we step out of the hospital, Edward is already waiting for us in his white BMW 1 Series. It's an odd colour to have for a car in my opinion, but this is his car, not mine. Rose opens the car door for me and helps me get inside, since when does she handle me with kid gloves?

I move all the way to the left, settling down behind the driver's seat leaving the space to my right for Rose to get in beside me. Edward glances at us from his interior mirror, clearly making sure we are settled and have our seatbelts on before he starts the car.

The air flowing into the car when we've reached a decent amount of speed swirls and twirls my hair around, forcing me to reach up to tame it into a bun to keep it from getting into my eyes. In doing so, my fingers scrape over the patch on the right side of my forehead. Hopefully Rose will explain how this happened soon.

The car ride is quite enjoyable which is not surprising since I really like long car rides, especially when someone else is driving and I'm free to take in my surroundings. I think I should consider making a road trip in the near future.

Instead of looking out the left window, I'm looking straight ahead and out the front windscreen. One might think I could not really see anything by doing that, but Edward's silhouette is in my peripheral vision like this.

I'm enamoured by the calmness he radiates, it makes me feel safe and in good hands.

His arm reaches down to shift gears, the muscles flexing in the process. It's unfair how a simple movement like this triggers feelings in me that I would rather not admit.

He raises his hand to rub the back of his neck and my eyes follow the movement. A man's neck has always been one of my favorite parts of the male body, but his is even more special to me somehow. Never have I wanted to nibble, suck and lick a neck so badly as I do his.

I feel someones' eyes on me so I look up into the inside mirror, only to stare right into Edwards' eyes. How long has he been watching me watch him? Long enough to notice me almost salivating over him?

He holds my gaze a nanosecond longer before his eyes are back on the road again. I divert my gaze to my lap in shame before raising it toward Rose on my right. Did she witness any of this? It's not hard to tell when her body is turned toward the window to her right and she's focused on the landscape before her. It's obvious she didn't notice a thing.

About five minutes later Edward parks his car in front of Kate and Garretts' building. This time Edward opens my door, but looks at me rather awkwardly at first. He seems unsure of what to do next, whether to help me or not and how to do it.

Rose rushes to my side and helps me do something I could very well do by myself. We walk up to the entrance, ringing the bell and waiting for someone to open the door for us.

Kate doesn't seem startled when she opens the door to find the three of us behind it, she does seem shocked when she takes me in fully though. The question mark on her face is quite evident and resembles the one I have in my memory.

She steps to the side and motions for us to come in. She kisses me and Rose on the ceek and shakes hands with Edward in greeting.

Of course she asks about the patch on my forehead and last night as she closes the door behind us and leads us to the living room.

"Kate, it's been a long night. Let us sit down first and get this girl some water. The doc ordered me to keep her hydrated" she answers pointing at me with her thumb.

Their easy going relationship is a product of the fact that Rose and Garrett are somehow related. We enter the living room and are greeted by Garrett and Jasper. Holy hell, what is _he_ doing here? Somehow I can't shake the feeling off that he's a keypiece to the puzzle that is last night.

"Jasper just got here himself so I didn't have the chance to pump him for answers yet" Kate clarifies on her way out of the living area. I hope it's to get some water, my mouth is as dry as the desert right now.

"Let's address the elephant in the room and get this over with so we can move to more regular topics or before you all die of curiosity. Help me out B. Do you remember anything at all?" Rose asks.

"The last thing I recall is Edwards' car coming to a stop in front of us. Everything before that is a bit blurry, but intact and everything after that is non-existent" I reply. The bits and pieces I remember are embarassing, but not unsettling. It's the one's I don't remember are far more concerning.

"Alright, first of all sorry for lying to you about this Kate. I just didn't want you to worry because it was nothing to worry about. So last night we went out to dinner and were enjoying ourselves. When we got ready to leave, B started to feel unwell and eventually fainted" she looks at me, worry written all over her face as she recalls last night. I feel terrible knowing I'm the cause of that.

"When she fell to the ground she injured her forehead and the wound bled quite a bit so we took her to the hospital immediately. Turns out the wound had to be stitched with no less than 7 stitches. She got an infusion of normal saline because she was dehydrated and they did a CT scan to make sure she didn't have a concussion. Dr. Cullen insisted on keeping her in the hospital overnight for monitoring though. I think his decision partly had to do with Bella sleeping like the dead" she ends her storytelling and nudges me playfully.

I touch the spot where the soon-to-be scar is located for the numerous time today and wonder how big a 7 stitch scar is or how visible it's going to be.

"You know what's funny in all this mess though? Edward and Bella will have a scar on the exact same spot. Only that hers is horizontal and his is vertical" Jasper throws in and our eyes collectively wander to Edwards' forehead and then to mine.

I'm stunned. Since when does Edward have a scar? I've literally studied his face countless times but never have I noticed a scar.

I take a huge sip of water from the small bottle Kate brought me. Partly to calm me down and partly to ease the burning in my throat and mouth. When I do that, Jasper raises his glass as if making a toast.

"To remembering sunday with a little help from friends," he exclaims and sips on his drink.

When no-one joins in because we're all confused, he explains that since everything happened past midnight, it was technically sunday. The explanation still doesn't make it funnier.

I have the sudden urge to brush my teeth, I really need to do it. The taste in my mouth is awful and I'm 100% sure it must smell like that aswell. Might aswell do it now, no time like the present, right?

I excuse myself and get up to walk to my room, picking up my toiletries bag on the way to the bathroom looking myself over and coming to the conclusion that I look horrible. Even more so than usual, which I didn't think was even possible until this point. Never say never I guess.

The sound of approaching footsteps alert me to someones' arrival so I turn around to see who my guest is. Sure enough, Kate comes closer until she's standing in front of me. She wraps her arms around me as if I had survived some life-threatening situation and I hug her back in comfort.

"How are you feeling Bella?" she asks in a low voice.

I want to say so much, but I decide to not trouble her mind further and tell her what she needs to hear. A simple "I'm fine". She sways us from side to side for a bit before letting go of me and telling me she should leave so I can shower and do everything else I need to do. She reminds me to be careful because of the medical patch in my face and closes the door behind her on the way out.

* * *

_A/N_

_Wanna know how you can get your hands on Chapter 6?_

_No, no review request this time._

_I'm going with something new: I promise an update in two weeks... Does that sound good?_

_I can't resist sending every reviewer a sneak peek of Chapter 6 though..._


	6. High Anxiety

_A/N:_

_A promise is a promise so here goes Chapter 6._

_TEAM JSY IS SOOO DAMN FUCKING AWESOME! _

_Kymz and Virginie, thank you for making this Chapter sound so wonderful and beautiful. I love how you can't resist improving this story with your ideas and creativity._

_Sol and Annie, you know faaar too well what is going on in my brain... Js!_

_Team JSY, thank you from the depths of my pervy heart! #TeamJSYftw_

* * *

**Chapter 6: High Anxiety**

Originally, my plan was to only brush my teeth, in the end I took a shower and put on some new clothes aswell. Rose has already folded the clothes into my bag so I only finish packing my bags as I'm supposed to leave later tonight.

Having done everything I had to do, I head to the living room only to find Garrett and Kate snuggled together on the couch. Immediately I feel like I'm intruding.

"Wow, I must have taken a century to get ready, huh? Where are the others?" I ask, looking around as if it would make them magically appear.

"They went home when I told them that I had postponed your flight. You'll stay another night and fly tomorrow afternoon" she informs me, straightening up.

I feel horrible. Not because she switched flights, because truth is I don't mind her doing this. I didn't feel like travelling tonight, but I would've if I had to. I feel horrible for being the 3rd wheel and disturbing them.

"That's fine with me Kate, but what about you? You have to work tomorrow!"

"I'll figure something out" she smiles and pats the seat next to her.

I sit down and Garrett gets up.

"I still have some work to do. I better get started" he says but it sounds more like a terrible excuse to grant me and Kate some alone time.

Yes, we haven't seen each other in a while but we regularly catch up. So we silently sit next to each other, my head on her shoulder watching whatever catches our eye when flipping through the channels, and simply enjoy each others company. I've always firmly believed that silent moments spent with each other are more intimate; they only become awkward when you're not familiar enough with the person.

After a while, she speaks again.

"So what are you going to do about the set-up-situation?"

"No idea. Probably keep going like this for as long as I can" I shrug. Honestly, I have no idea what else to do.

"Or you could simply find a boyfriend" she suggests.

"And give Renee the possibility to harass me about when the engagement is going to be? No, I don't think so" I say, a bit harsher than necessary.

Kate sighs in response.

"You're right."

Of course I am - I know my mother. Now that I'm single, her top priority is finding me a boyfriend. Once I'm dating someone, she'll want to see me engaged. Once I'm engaged, she'll plan my wedding so I can be someone's wife as soon as possible. Once I'm married, she'll push for grandchildren; which is closer to her influencing my sex life than any mother has a right to be!

And now I've worked myself up into a frenzy. Great.

My stomach growls, to remind me that I haven't fed it yet in nearly 24 hours. Not the healthiest thing to do, but in my defense: a) I threw my last meal right back up and it was not by my own fault and b) I've been ill and thus have had no appetite. _Had_ is the magic word because right now I've got a pregnant woman style craving for a hot dog with lots of mustard.

Kate is already on her way to the kitchen when I tell her what I would like to eat.

Ten minutes later, the sausages are in a pot of boiling water and the buns are in the oven. Sometimes all one needs is a bit of luck; like me for Kate to have all the ingredients for a good ol' hot dog.

Garrett joins us for dinner and we sit on the table, laughing and talking long after we've finished eating.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Today's my last day in Los Angeles. That's the first thought to capture my mind.

I went to bed earlier last night, needing the rest only a nights' sleep would bring me. And judging by the top condition I'm in again, it was clearly the right thing to do.

It must be too early to rise and shine yet, so I close my eyes again, remain in bed and think back of Saturday night... Or Sunday; it was past midnight after all. Ok, the joke is still bad.

The weekend has been a huge mess and it all started with something I didn't want to happen in the first place. Instinctively I knew it was not right for me to be there but I was and that can't be changed now. Instead of worrying about something I can't change anyway, I might as well try to forget the whole thing.

I met Edward even though I really hoped I never would again, so what? I revealed my ridiculous alibi-marriage idea to Jasper, so what? I threw up, fainted and got myself a wound that bled so much they had to take me to the hospital, so what?

One piece of the puzzle still doesn't seem to fit in though. Why was Edward in the room when I woke up? Did he spent the night there or did he simply fall asleep because he went home for a bit before rushing back to the hospital to pick Rose up? Rose probably sent him home to bring the clothes she gave me to wear that day and Jasper seems to have gone home aswell after all.

I make a mental note to ask Rose on this matter, no idea why it seems that important for me to know but it just does.

It takes a while until it occurs to me that Kate and Garrett must be at work by now, so I get up and walk through the house to confirm my suspicions. Just as I thought, nobody's here but me. A note on the kitchen table tells me to help myself to the nutella-filled croissants in the microwave and wait for Kate to call me with further details on my flight. The digital watch on the stove informs me it's well past 9, which is much later than I thought it was.

I get the plate with 3 croissants on it out of the microwave and bite into one. My bags are already packed; I'm left with nothing to do in preparation so I sit down in front of the TV in the living room for a bit, chewing on my pastries.

I flip through the channels, not quite liking anything enough to watch it. With a frustrated sigh I turn off the TV, put the plate back into the microwave and walk to the guest room to get my mobile phone in case Kate calls. My morning routine of getting ready still has to be finished aswell.

Teeth brushed, body showered and clothes changed I'm ready for whatever the day might bring.

As if on cue, my phone rings

I answer without looking at the screen and sure enough it's Kate answering back on the other end.

"Hey Bells! Did you sleep well and get some rest?" she asks, obviously busy as hell judging by the semi-loud noises in the background.

"I slept like a rock and feel much better than last night - thanks for asking. How are you? You left so early today; I didn't even see you before you were out of the house" I kind of whine. There was so much I needed to say to her.

"Good. I'm fine but oh so very damn busy. I got here earlier in hopes of finishing this business before you leave but..., speaking of busy: I'm so damn sorry Bella, but I'm afraid I won't make it. Things are really frantic in the office right now. I wish it were different but we just have to the best of it now. I'm stuck here, Garrett has an important meeting, Rose is attending lectures at the uni and to be perfectly honest with you, Jasper is not an option. I saw him looking at you and the fucker has a way of charming his way into girls' panties. Long story short: Edward is coming to pick you up at noon and take you to the airport and no, you can't just take a cab" she warns me right when I'm about to open my mouth and protest. Kate knows me too well.

Scratch that. If she knew me well, she wouldn't consider Edward. Why is Jasper such a womanizer? If he wasn't, Kate wouldn't be convinced he'd just want to take my v-card and hurt my feelings. He could've been the one to drive me to the airport today instead of Edward damnit!

"Bells, I love you so so so much I would marry you if we were not related and I was playing for the other team or you were male. Thank you for coming over and visiting me. It truly meant a lot and we had so much fun, didn't we? Hope I could take your mind off of... things" she continues when I hesitate for a moment too long.

"Katie, thank you from the depths of my virgin heart for the great weekend. You have no idea how much I needed this. Thank you very much."

"I didn't plan for this to play out this way but saying goodbye last night seemed off and waking you up this morning felt wrong. So we'll have to do without the usual tear-filled goodbyes this time."

I know what she means. Goodbyes are really fucking awful. Chances are we would've both done something crazy like cry, so it's only for the better this way.

A look at my watch and someone calling Kate, force us to end the call quickly. She mentions for me to simply close the door behind me and call her when I'm in Forks. Then we end the call.

11:00 am.

Edward is going to be here in an hour.

Almost on their own accord, my feet drag my body to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror on the wall tells me that I'm definitely not the fairest of them all. Not even remotely close. Maybe if I straightened my lion mane with a flat iron and put on some mascara and lip-gloss, I'd be halfway presentable.

I unzip my suitcase and fish the toiletries bag out of it to get what I need to start working.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

I'm pacing from side to side in the hallway, my suitcase and handbag ready in the corner of the room waiting for the ring on the door tindicating that Edward is here to pick me up.

It feels awkward. Waiting for him like this. I'm deeply agitated and antsy, so much that I fall into the old habit of chewing on my thumbs' nail. Something I haven't done in a long, long time.

The doorbell rings just as I'm about to take another step and I immediately turn around, walking the three steps to the door and opening it, without giving me a moment to take a deep breath and calm down first. I realize my mistake a bit too late though, and there's another thing: Instead of waiting a few seconds before opening the door to give him the illusion that I was not waiting for him, I opened the door right away. Now he knows I was waiting for his arrival.

Which I was, but he doesn't need to know that.

On the other hand, if I had taken too long he would've thought it was because I was prettying up for him. Between those two options, I prefer the first by far. At least nobody, not even him, can blame me for waiting to be taken to the airport.

We stand facing each other, none of us quite sure what to do next or what to say. A few heartbeats pass before I lower my gaze and move back to get my luggage.

Actions speak louder than words anyway.

The rollers of my suitcase echo off the floor as I drag it behind me and out of the door. Edward grabs the handle, implying that he'll take it from here. He carries it to his white BMW, putting it into the trunk of his car.

Walking a few feet behind him, I'm by the car when he's already seated inside.

Now, where should I sit?

Sitting on the front passenger seat -almost right next to him- might be a little too intimate. Sitting in the back would make him feel like I'm giving him the space he so obviously needs.

As I stare at the backseat while going through my options, I notice how much space the backseat offers. Would it be enough to fit Edward and me?

My face heats at the unexpected thought and I force myself to knock this off. It's not the right time for unusually inappropriate thoughts.

Unceremoniously I sit down on the right side of the backseat, right behind the passenger seat. However my move to give us more space hasn't helped the high anxiety flaring up between us. Go figure, the boy is driving me to the airport and we haven't even managed a simple "Hi." yet.

Edward starts the engine and we're out of the parking lot and on our way to the airport.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

In the beginning, I simply stare out the window to my right, hoping to distract myself enough to resist the temptation of turning my head in his direction.

That is, until I hear Edward mutter unintelligibly under his breath, obviously not meant for me to hear but directed at the cab driver in front of him. My attention is on him right then and there and I'm reminded of why I tried so hard not to give in to the urge to look at him. Now that my eyes have caught a glimpse of him from this spot, they won't want to look anywhere else.

Sitting here was probably not such a good idea after all.

On second thought: at least I can ogle him from my seat without the risk of being caught. Not to mention that I can see him much better from this angle. I couldn't have from the front passenger seat. From this place though, I can see his full profile in all it's right sided glory.

I give him the once over, looking him up and down before fixating my eyes on the flexed muscle in his jaw. Another part of the male anatomy that gets me all worked up. A well defined and sharp jaw like Edwards' is one thing, the muscles in it flexing to make it more prominent is another.

My eyes wander to his tightly closed lips. It's weird how now more than ever; I wonder what it would be like to kiss them. What would they taste like? What would they feel like? Would a kiss make him loosen up?

I look further up into his green eye. Most people would say they're green, but I've spotted flecks of gold in them when I had the chance to look closely. They really have a unique color.

Eyebrows that I know start at the inner corner of his eye and end diagonally above the outer corner of it, frame his eye from above. Normally I don't even like thick eyebrows, but due to the fact that they suit him, he's the exception to that rule.

All compliments aside, I'm still jealous of his lashes though. It's unfair that he inherited those long, thick and dark lashes while mine are almost non-existent.

His hair catches my attention next.

Much like his eyes, they've always been one of a kind. I've tried and failed numerous times to describe it. Ever since I can remember it's been this odd, indescribable shade. People usually describe it as dark blond or light brown, but I've always noticed the honey and vanilla nuances in it. The healthy silver-ish shimmer makes me wonder if it's as silky to the touch as it looks.

Right on cue, Edward runs the fingers of his right hand through said hair, disheveling it even more than it was before. Today is the first time I see it unstyled like this. He usually he has it carefully styled up in a Tommy Sands inspired bouffant type of way.

His hand moves back to grab the steering wheel and from the way his knuckles turn white, I can tell he's holding it tighter than he probably needs to or should.

Looks like someone is really tense. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one feeling this sort of constriction.

I turn my head and look out the window for a moment. This is such an uncomfortable situation to be in. I feel like I should say something, anything, to start a conversation. Maybe that would ease the anxiety we both seem to feel.

I shift back to him, my left arm around my waist, my right elbow resting on it, while the three fingers in the middle tap on my lips absentmindedly. Should I? Or shouldn't I? And what should I even talk about? The weather?!

Frustrated I overthrow my plan. If he wanted to talk to me, he would have. I'm tired of making the first move toward him.

In annoyance I turn my head to the right again, looking out of the window but not really seeing anything.

Before long, the car stops and Edward gets out. A second later he has the trunk open and heaves my bags out of the car. I open the door and climb out.

Let's get this over with.

* * *

Yeah, I just cliffed you... and this is mean...

But I answer questions, so leave a review maybe?

(also: now I know why I can never write songs)


	7. No place like home

_A/N_

_*runs into and waves like a maniac, then takes deep breath and starts speaking*_

_Long story short: TOO MUCH going on in real life always results into a lack of internet life... *sigh*_

_Thanks to my amazing Beta-fish slash Soulsista's skillz, this chapter is brought to you today... Thank you verrah much Sis for doing your job even though your internet was down for a couple of days!_

_Oh and ddreamingfairy helped me pretty the words up aswell; she simply can't help it and I love her for that!_

_Annie, you seriously need to get out of my brain. You know exactly what is going on there... I wonder how come..._

_Sol, hope you have a great vacay bb!_

_Everyone else: You guys are fucking awesome and I love you all from the depth of my oh-so-pervy-heart..._

_Let's get it on now..._

* * *

**Chapter 7: No place like home**

Sometimes Kate is more like a mother to me than my own is. The most recent example has to be the plane ticket in my handbag. She must've printed it out and put it there after I fell asleep, I probably would've ended up trying to get on to the plane with the expired ticket to the flight I did not get on. Thank god I have her.

The stewardess passes and asks me whether I would like something to drink, a question I kindly decline.

The whole departure procedure at the airport was really strange. I walked forward and Edward followed behind me, carrying my suitcase. More than once I wanted to tell him to get lost but I'd have to speak to him for that, something I wanted to avoid at all costs.

He stayed wordlessly beside me at the check-in counter and he even waited at the security screening line with me. The closest we came to interacting was shyly waving at one another after I cleared security.

In a little while I'll be back in Seattle, my parents hopefully having come to pick me up after I let them know when I was coming via short message.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

It's already dark when our car pulls into the driveway of la casa de Swan and I'm really eager to get in between the sheets of my own bed. As comfy as the bed in Kates' guestroom was, nothing - absolutely nothing - beats the comforting feeling of your own bed. We already covered the shallow blah-blah about each others' weekend on the drive so nobody should be offended if I go to my room right away. Besides, after a trip like this I should be forgiven for wanting to call it a night earlier than usual.

Surprisingly enough my mother noticed the little white patch on my forehead which threw me off-guard for a second, I hadn't really thought of an explanation on how it got there. Telling her the truth was not an option since I'd just avoided the "Did you meet someone there?" question from her and the story definitely involves men. I'm not even sure if she sincerely wanted to know or if she had some secret agenda behind it. Guess I'm so used to her making plans regarding my life without considering my thought on it that I can't believe she's simply curious for once.

Almost as if on autopilot, I open the car-door to my right walking behind to the trunk to get my luggage and walk up the three steps onto the porch before our entry door. My mother has taken off before me and dad so she's already inside and left the door behind her open for us to enter.

I step inside with a sigh of relief. There really is no place like home. Climbing up the stairs to my right I'm soon standing in front of my bedroom door. How high are the chances that my mother redecorated it into a hobby-room for herself after my 4 day absence? Well, apparently not as high as I thought they were. I find my room just as I left it on Friday when I open the door.

My bags are dropped to the floor and I'm out of my clothes and in the boy-shorts and tank-top I wear to bed before I even realize what I'm doing. I leave my room to go to the bathroom and get myself ready for the night. On my way back I lean over the railing and shout a "Good night mum and dad" in the direction of the living room where my parents are. Their prompt answer is reason enough for me to go back to my room and lie down.

Not long passes until I fall prey to the sleep-inducing mixture of raindrops tapping against window-glass, being freshly showered and clean bedsheets.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

In Forks it's not as easy as it was in L.A. to tell whether it's morning or afternoon; the sky is almost always at least fifty different shades of grey. This day is no different. I didn't even bother to look out of the window when I opened my eyes. Instead I turned on my back and looked up the berry-tinted ceiling and let my mind drift.

As much as I missed being at home, my parents and my usual environment, I feel like I don't belong here anymore. It's hard to explain something you can't understand yourself, but I know I feel that way. Maybe I just miss L.A. and am mistaking it for feeling like an outcast, but would that really justify feeling quite this out of place?

To take my mind off of these ridiculous thoughts, I decide to unpack my bags. That should help me arrive where I belong. I push the covers to the side and slide out of bed, almost stumbling over my clothes from yesterday. Good thing I was so exhausted I didn't even care about my own OCD-bordering tendencies, otherwise I couldn't have fallen asleep before folding them together and putting them away to avoid situations like these.

Grabbing the pile, I throw it into the brown laundry basket in the corner of the room. Next, I heave my bag onto the desk opposite my bed and begin to put the clothes either into the laundry basket next to the desk or into the closet on the wall to my left.

Apparently, Kate was free enough to pack her Reebok sneakers that "would go so well with that outfit" into my bag as well as the white dress she made me believe she was buying for herself. Not sure if I should be surprised about this or not.

Having done my job of emptying the suitcase, I let it slide to the side of my desk, careful not to crash the lamp standing on it. It might still be too early to carry it to the basement.

I pace around the room like I'm seeing it for the first time. In a way I probably am. The extended weekend in L.A. has made me see things a bit more differently. Somehow the room and house where I've spent my whole childhood and adolescence in don't seem all that great. Even Kate's guestroom is more appealing than mine and it's just a guestroom. Maybe if I'd paint the walls and bought new furniture...

After walking around the room like a person who has nothing better to do for a while, I come up with the crazy idea to take a shower, get dressed and go downstairs. By the time I've made it to the kitchen, mom and dad are already having breakfast. The smell of cooked bacon, freshly pressed orange juice and fresh-perked coffee fills the air around me, making my mouth water. I kiss my parents on the cheek and wish them a good morning on my way to the stove. Grabbing the still hot pan my mother must've used to cook the bacon, I crack the two eggs I fished out of the fridge into it. After a few moments I turn them to the other side and put two slices of toast into the toaster. Peeking over at the table confirms that there's enough orange juice left for me to fill a glass so I don't press more. The slices of toast pop up and I fish them out with my thumb and forefinger, careful not to burn myself and place them on a flat, white plate. Then I take out the fried eggs with a fork and place them next to the toast. I love how they kind of taste like bacon now, but only barely. My favourite glass in one hand and the plate in the other, I join my parents on the table.

The typical breakfast discussion topic is what everyone is going to be up to all day. Right now it's my mother's turn to talk.

"Bella, good you're up so early. We have so much to do today. The house needs a once over cleaning desperately!"

This woman seriously has a cleaning addiction. Honestly. She cleans thoroughly every damn day. How can the house even get so dirty it "desperately needs to be once over cleaned" then? I need to find a therapist who will treat her.

Instead of voicing my thoughts I only sigh deeply in response.

Dad looks at the watch on his wrist, takes a huge last gulp from his mug and rushes out of the door, wishing us a good day.

Now that it's down to only me and Renee, it's quiet apart from the sound of clanking tableware and chewing mouths. Not that I object; I prefer eating in silence anyway.

When she's done eating, she grabs the two plates, dads' mug and her glass and puts them into the dishwasher. My eyes follow her every movement trying to gauge the mood she's in. A few sips of juice and bites of eggs on toast later I'm up and on my way to the kitchenette as well. Meanwhile Mum is cleaning the sink and work-plate. I put the dishes into the dishwasher and just stand beside my mother waiting for further instructions. She told me to help her clean the house after all, didn't she?

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

I drop into my bed face first. I've never been more exhausted in all of my life. Right now I can feel muscles I didn't even know I had. Guess this is what happens when you're an active part in a Renee cleaning spree. It's supposed to leave you feeling like this, though the battle wounds only prove that I survived. My shoulders need a massage, I can barely feel or even move my arms and my legs are begging for a cold bath. At least now I'll get away with not doing much in the house for like a month.

Renee is always torn between doing all the chores herself because me helping her messes up her "cleaning routine" and accusing me of not helping her enough in the household. No matter how hard I try, I never get it right so I gave up trying long ago.

With the last bit of energy left in my body, I get up again and change into my night attire. I already called it a night with my parents so I just get under the covers of my bed and drift off to sleep.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Wednesday and Thursday pass without anything special happening. It's on Friday that we decide to do some grocery shopping. Mom mentioned something about family friends coming over for dinner on Saturday.

We drive to Port Angeles in my moms' red truck. She has a soft spot for this damn vehicle, otherwise I would've found a way to get rid of it. But this was her first car so it's very special to her and old and probably not safe anymore. I resist the urge to pray to God for safety though.

We park in front of the huge building that houses the grocery store my parents usually frequent. It's the first time in approximately six years that I'm dragged into a grocery store. That's probably the reason I'm so overwhelmed. The little supermarket I go to in Forks is probably one fifth of this.

Out of nowhere my mom appears beside me with a cart.

Dad is right. I really need to pay closer attention to my surroundings or I might get run over by a car, or my mother and her cart.

To avoid that, I walk beside her and let Renee do her worst. She stops every now and again filling the cart slowly with food and other stuff she needs in the household. She never makes a list for what she needs to buy; she rather "trusts her instincts" aka goes to the grocery store hungry. That's her key to success and the reason we sometimes have too much food in the house which goes to waste.

In the end anything is better than her extreme couponing phase. She would literally collect every coupon she got her hands on whether they were in magazines or available online didn't matter. She'd get them. And then she'd plan our whole meals and snacks and everything else she needed for the house one month in advance and went shopping only once or twice a month, but visited more grocery stores in one day than some people do in their life. Thank God that is over. I rather enjoy eating what I feel like and not what's on the menu, thank you very much. Call me a spoiled brat.

Mom leaves the cart with me to get something and I look into the direction she's headed. Do I really want to know what she needs that canned fish for? Scrunching up my noise in disgust at a holiday memory where dad claimed that the liquid the fish are canned in is good for sunburns and thus applied it on his skin, filling the room with the awful smell, I turn around.

The sight before me makes my stomach churn, too. I blink violently a few times to make sure I'm really seeing what my brain makes me believe I'm seeing. Apparently I am. He really is here but what the hell could he even be doing here? For a moment I start to panic. When my mother comes back and spots him, she's going to want to talk to him. Not so sure if I want that.

I grab the handle of the shopping cart and want to get away as fast as I humanly can when someone throws a few cans into it and walks off towards a direction I don't approve of. Why can't Renee for once do what I would want her to? Instead, she's almost reached him by now, making me wonder if I can get away with running away.

Too late for that; he's looking up from the aisle he was scanning and right at me. Then he notices Renee who is standing in front of him.

My mother always told me to pretty up a bit when going out because you could meet anyone. I'd always reply that there's nobody in the world I'd want to impress. Which was true until now. Damn! Did I have to want to take advantage of the sunny day and wear this black pencil skirt and a white tank-top? Or not straighten my hair nor wear make-up? But nothing is worse than the kitten-heeled strass-covered sandals Renee made me wear.

Way to go B.

Of course Hottie McHottinson looks oh so perfect, just like he broke free from an H&M catalogue in his grey shirt, washed blue jeans and the black Nike sneakers.

Renee turns around to me and motions for me to join them. I push the cart toward them, not breaking eye contact with him. Only when I'm finally there do I look to the ground. I offer him my right hand in a handshake and manage a simple greeting.

"Look who's here to visit his aunt. Isn't he the sweetest? And while he's here he wanted to get a few things done for her," Renee informs.

I only humm because I don't really care since it's none of my business. Whatever he does is none of my business and will never be either.

"Why don't you two go have a coffee together later and catch up? I remember a time when you were really close," my mother interjects.

In response I stare at him in shock. There's no way he can let her talk us into this. If I say something though, she'll blame me for being a stuck up bitch with no social competence, especially in the male department. If he refuses though...

"Oh I think one coffee will not be enough to catch up, Mrs. Swan. Do you mind if I take Isabella out to dinner tonight?" he asks.

Dood, I'm standing right here and yet you ask my mother for permission to go on a date with me as if I were 12 and not 21?

Renee giggles in that really annoying cougar talking to her boytoy type of way. I need to do something stat!

"Pick me up at 6," I reply deadpan. It's better to make this decision before Renee makes it for me. Besides, what's the worst that could possibly happen?

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

What the hell was going through my mind when I agreed to this? Oh, now I remember: I wanted to make the decision before my mother made it for me. Sadly, I made the decision she would've wanted me to make. And that's why I'm standing in front of my open closet in a towel and racking my brain about what to wear. A look out of my window reveals that today is one of the rare sunny days in Forks. I could totally get away with wearing something shorter if I felt like it.

I look through the pile of pants and settle on a pair of washed light-blue jeans that I don't remember having ever worn. Maybe I don't even fit into them anymore but they look great. The zippers on both outer sides of the ankle give them a rocker-ish edge. These pants combined with that red peplum top I have and the classic black pumps I never wear would surely look good together. At least in my head they do.

I get dressed and look into the mirror. Some hair mousse should define my natural curls, since I'm honestly too lazy to blow dry and straighten it. It's not like I am going on a date and want to look my best. Presentable is acceptable. A little bit of make-up is probably still a good idea though.

I grab a little bag out of the night stand drawer and look at the stuff I have to work with. Foundation, mascara, eyeliner, a peachy-colored blush, different palettes of eyeshadow and various shades of lipsticks and lipglosses. Trying not to overthink this, I take the foundation, eyeliner, mascara and red lipstick out of the bag and make my way to the bathroom.

Putting on the foundation and blush is easy. The mascara and lipstick shouldn't be difficult either. I'm more at war with the eyeliner though. I might've accepted the challenge but after correcting it for the 3rd time, I give up on wanting to make it look the same on both eyes. Very alike is close enough. Mascara and red lipstick on, I'm ready to face whatever the evening brings.

* * *

_A/N_

_DUN, DUN, DUN!_

_So who do you think Bella is going on a date with? Leave me a review and lemme know... If you guess it right, you'll get a preview proving you are right; if you get it wrong, you'll get a preview proving you wrong (I'm a very self-opinionated person...)_

_See you ladies soon! *mwah*_


	8. Girl with a red umbrella

A/N

So it's been ages since I posted for the last time, but I want to let you all know that I am working on my personal RL love story right now and am getting ready for like tenthousand albanian weddings. Which is like going to the oscars (not even kidding)

That being said: I am still on this, it just takes a bit of time... Be patient with me?

As usual, the biggest thanks and appreciation go to Team JSY: Kymz, Sol, DayDreamingFairy aka Virginie and Anne... You guys are the bestest (I know you all feel the urge to correct that now, don't ya? lol)

Oh and just as much thanks to you guys for sticking around!

Let's get this started!

* * *

Just Say Yes

**Chapter 8: Girl with a red umbrella**

When the doorbell rings, I'm having a deja vu moment. Again, I've been waiting for Edward to come pick me up and take me somewhere. Grabbing the black handbag on my bed, I hurry downstairs before Renee can get her hands on the poor boy. I straighten up and slide my fingers through my hair and tug at my clothes one last time before I open the door. His back is to me at first but he turns around once the door is completely open.

The boy is dressed to kill! The black v-neck-sweatshirt and washed dark blue jeans make him sexy when they'd make any other guy look plain.

As he comes closer, I shout a "Have a nice evening mom and dad" over my shoulder and step out. When I close the door behind me, my back leaning on the door, I'm right in front of him. So dangerously close. Too dangerously close. I look him straight in the eye and inhale a deep breath.

There's nothing more attractive than a guy who smells well. And Edward? He smells like heaven and sin combined. Fruity. Aromatical. Woody. A pleasant fresh smell of cleanliness I like it. I like it a lot. I always did in fact and my skin breaks out in goosebumps like it always does in response to him.

A light wind picks up around us, carrying Edwards' almost whispered and shy "Hello" to my ears.

God, how I missed his voice.

The calm and yet rough elements in it. How it can go from being sweet and innocent to dominant and demanding in the blink of an eye. Both of which are irresistable in their own right.

I breathe a "Hi", not able to do more in the intoxicated state his closeness caused. He takes a step back, giving me the space I need to clear my thoughts and motions for me to go ahead. In response, I walk to the car with him by my side. Edward walks around behind me, opens the passenger door and closes it once I'm seated inside.

Just like that the awkwardness is back. Him rounding the car in front of me and entering it doesn't make it any better. If anything at all it just shows me how surreal this situation is.

I miss the days when they weren''t.

Before I can ponder further on that thought, Edward speaks up.

"As far as I recall you love Italian. There's a really good place in Portland."

He looks at me for confirmation and I nod. Wherever he is taking me is fine.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Thank god I've been blessed with the patience of an angel, otherwise this waitress wouldn't be smiling as sweetly as she is. And no, I swear I'm not jealous of her fake hair-extentions, eye-lashes and boobs. I'm just angry at her for staining the image of females worldwide with her sluty attention seeking behaviour.

Skank.

She makes me feel so second-hand embarrassed I could throw up, but I obtain satisfaction from the fact that Edward - who is her obvious target - does not acknowledge her more than entirely necessary. When we need to order for instance, we both order a coke and the mushroom ravioli and wait for Skank McSlutkinson to leave before speaking again, if whatever this is we're doing can be qualified as such. Small talk between two perfect strangers maybe. That's what we seem to have become, no matter how hard we might try to deny it.

Thus we talked about the weather and his reason for visiting Elizabeth on the way here and have run out of innocuous topics to discuss. Truth is: I don't want to bring up any personal topic and tell him anything about myself. He lost that privilege long ago.

Miss Slutkinson brings us our drinks and I wish it was not just simple plain coke she brought but something with a little bit of alcohol in it. Or maybe a lot. Then I remember the last two times I was with Edward where alcohol was involved and am thankful for my choice. Wow! Look at Skankie intentionally swaying her hips from side to side like she owns the place. Even Edward has his eyes on her for a moment, before he turns away and shakes his head as if to shake away the memory of what he just saw. The boy needing brainbleach? Guess that means I win bitch!

It's impossible to hide the amused smirk on my face and while my spirits are lifted, Edward gets all tense and serious now, as if he's contemplating something. What could he possibly be up to that has him all uptight?

He relaxes into his seat almost immediately again, making me think that I just surmised something that wasn't really there.

"I really don't know how to say this and there's no way to sugar coat it anyway so I'm going to just say it as it is: Is your offer still up?" he asks in a hurry, almost stumbling over his words he is saying them so fast.

This must be the longest sentence he has said all day but instead of keeping my mind busy with thoughts like that I should focus on what he said. An offer? What offer? I never offered him anything! My mouth is agape in shock.

The ravioli are brought to the table, bringing my attention to the table again and my mouth filling with saliva at the delicious smell of it. The waitress is gone and I can answer his question with one of my own.

"What offer do you even mean?"

He takes a sip of his coke and I do the same when he sets it down and begins to speak again.

"Alibi-marriage? Does that ring a bell?"

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry right now. Not because I have mixed emotions but because I choked on the coke at the mention of my idea. Now I don't know whether to violently push down the rest of the liquid in my mouth and risk dying or spit it out and die of embarrassment. By some sort of miracle I manage to get the coke into the right duct this time and start coughing forcefully. Edward gets up to help but I motion for him to back off. I got this.

The coughing has left me a bit breathless and all teary eyed so I take a deep breath and whipe the corners of my eyes with a napkin.

"You were attempting to kill me, weren't you?" I ask to lighten up the mood. It feels like we're playing 21 questions or something. Only that in our version only questions are asked.

The corners of Edwards mouth raise to that loopsided grin I love so much and we continue eating in silence. Obviously he must've only been joking.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Not tiping the waitress is probably not a polite thing to do, even if the "special treatment" you receive from her is a bit over the top. The only thing missing was her offering Edward a ride, though it was more than obvious wanted to. Especially when she slipped him a note into his jacket pocket and blew him a kiss on our way out.

Any women with Edward are going to need a huge dose of confidence to just shake things like this off and feel like they're enough when he could have so many others.

We're already sitting in the car, but Edward makes no move to start the engine. He turns to me, his left hand on the steering wheel, his right on the gear shift and his body tense. He looks lost for a minute, opening and closing his mouth a few times. Can't he just spit it out and get it over with, already?

"I just want you to know that I'd be up for that little convenience marriage deal you seem to be considering. That's all I want you to know. We could get married on paper and live together; you live your life, I'll live mine. No commitment, no problems, no stress."

Ok, so I guess he wasn't just kidding earlier.

It's my turn to open and close my mouth repeatedly How is one supposed to reply to this?!

My first impulse is to be angry. Angry that he's making himself seem like the knight in shining armor coming to my rescue when in reality he's the bad guy.

"Just drive me home Edward," is all I manage to get out before I close my eyes to will away the angry tears welling up behind them.

He starts the engine after a few silent moments and drives off.

Just like that we're back to square one.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

My mother and I are standing in the kitchen and preparing dinner for our very important mystery guests later. When everything is ready, I go back up to my room and finish getting ready.

It's pouring outside but I feel like wearing the white dress Kate gave me. The slim black belt and a pair of black ballet flats complete my look, no way I'm going to wear high heels today. I straighten my mane and apply some make-up, satisfied with my reflection in the mirror I walk back into the living room to wait for the guests.

Not long after, the doorbell rings and we're up and at the door to greet whoever stands behind it.

I'm used to a lot of really messed up stuff from my mom, but _this_ overshadows everything to date. She led me into this like a sheep is led to the slaughter. My own mother!

The oh-so-important special guests are Jacob Black, his father and a woman I don't recognise but instead of behaving like a spoiled brat and scaring them away I decide to grin and bear it. For now at least.

When the guests are in the living room, I drag my mother into the kitchen to confront her.

"Tell me this is not what I think this is!" I whisper-shout at her.

"What do you think this is?" she virtuously replies. This woman is seriously driving me nuts. "A pathetic attempt to set me up with someone I want absolutely nothing to do with?!" "Stop behaving like a spoiled brat and be reasonable. You could at least agree to get to know the guy!"

This conversation is a vicious cycle we can't break out of.

"How can I unhesitatingly get to know someone who already knows he wants to marry me?"

I still have myself under control but I'm not sure how much longer that will last.

"Well you need to get married one day. You can't live off your parents' expenses forever!" she yells at me.

My body is shaking fiercely. That's it! I need to get out of here. Tears of hurt and anger built up between my closed eyelids. Don't cry. Not in front of her. Don't show weakness.

I stomp into the hallway, grab my beige trench coat, a red umbrella and am out of the door, ignoring my mothers shouts to come back.

She wants me gone? Gone I'll be.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

No right.

She has absolutely no right to say something so hurtful to me. Especially something that is simply not true. I have not once asked for money; not even once yet still she feels like I'm a burden. To my own parents no less!

I'm soaked through all the way to my underwear, my teeth are chattering from the cold and my feet hurt from the distance I've walked.

Without destination or just an idea of where to go, I walked and walked and walked until I didn't know where to walk to anymore.

They say to not make life changing permanent decisions based on temporary emotions, but it's too late for that. The plan has already formed in my head and my mind has been made up, making my legs move at their own accord.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

"Isn't that the girl with a red umbrella?"

"Is your offer still up?"

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A/N Dun, dun, duuun... Next chapter coming sooner than this one! =D


	9. With the lights out

A/N

Not sooo long since I posted the last chapter, but still quite a while... At least I am getting better, right?

Team JSY: No idea what I'd do without you. Kymz, Sol, DayDreamingFairy aka Virginie and Anne... thanks for doing all you do. I love you girls trés muchos!

My dear readers: Hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it for you...

Let's get started, shall we?

* * *

**Chapter 9: With the lights out**

I'm throwing him off guard. I can tell by the way his eyebrows raise in question and his mouth is slightly agape, but even in that state he has the presence of mind to ask me in.

I strip out of my coat, which is slightly more difficult to do now that it's drenched and sticking to my skin and clothes.

"This is so crazy," I murmur, walking further into the slightly dark room.

"You should take a hot shower," he suggests from behind me.

"My clothes are soaking wet. I don't have anything to wear," I say matter of factly. He scratches the back of his head and looks to the ground before he replies

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it as I can't really concentrate with you like that," he gives back.

A look down at myself makes me realize what he means. Let's just say that wearing the new red underwear under a white dress is not the best idea I've ever had. I go to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. Luckily enough the Motel provides shampoo and towels. At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about.

I get into the bathtub and draw the curtain. While massaging the shampoo into my hair and soaping up my body, I wonder how things will go from this point on. The issue is swaying above our heads like a sword of Damocles until we've worked this out. He hasn't even replied to my question yet, though it should be obvious we'd both be up for it. For now I have to survive sleeping in the same room with Edward. From what I saw, there's only one king sized bed in this room. Although I could sleep on the floor if it comes down to it. Not that it would make our sleeping arrangement better somehow, but I'll personally make sure nothing will happen either way.

The possibility of something happening is both daunting and thrilling. Although some kind of connection will be inevitable tonight.

Edward knocks on the door and steps in when I give him permission to.

"I hope this shirt and boxers work for you. They're fresh and clean so... I'll leave them on this tray," he tells me and is out of the room, the door clicking closed behind him.

I turn the water off, step out of the tub and use the towel to dry myself. Contrary to my previous opinion of my underwear, it looks like it got through the worst and is dry enough to put back on again. Edwards' shirt is over my head and sliding down my body next. It's so long I wouldn't even need to put on the boxers but I do. Just in case.

Towel on my head, I peek through the door. For all I know Edward could be undressing in the other room.

Which is exactly what he does.

His arms are crossed across his chest, lifting his hands up over his head and removing his dark blue sweater. It's obvious he lifts weights. You don't get shoulders like that without sweating and hard work.

"Which side of the bed do you want to sleep on?" he asks turning around, his hands on his belt.

The sound and sight of him unbuckling sends delicious shivers down my spine and I can feel my cheeks heat up a bit in response to him opening the button of his jeans followed by his zipper.

"Uhm...," I stammer, too caught up in his hands' movements.

A cheeky grin spreads across his face and I swear to god he's thinking what I'm thinking.

"Nervous?" he asks, cheeky grin still in place.

"Not at all," I say as confidently as I can given the circumstances.

"You're still such a bad liar," he smiles, pushing his pants down, "Probably the worst I have ever seen," he picks up his pants, folds them together and lays them onto the desk in the corner of the room. His socks are gone next and last but not least he hangs the sweater into the closet.

"This is so bizarre," I comment.

"What is? That you're here tonight or that we seem to have a deal?" he asks.

"Well, both."

"I can't believe you were paying enough attention to me on the rest of our ride home after the little talk we had to remember where I'm staying. I think that I have overstepped a line and want to apologize if I made you feel disrespected in any kind of way. That was absolutely not my intention."

Long gone is the grin, replaced by a sincere look instead.

"It's okay."

"What made you change your mind anyway? I mean, obviously you have."

"The fact that I hate you with every fiber of my being and you only ever loved or cared about yourself," I begin, praying that he can't tell the first part is a bit of a lie, "That combination pretty much makes sure we are in no danger to ever fall in love and complicate things like those Hollywood-produced love-movies want to make us believe is to be expected," I finish, happy with myself. I made a convenience marriage seem almost normal and reasonable.

Edward moves to the middle of the foot of the bed and raises an eyebrow in question. Right, what side do I want to sleep on.

Sleeping on the floor is not an option; I'm in danger of catching pneumonia as it is. I'll just have to make sure I'll behave, then I should be alright.

"I'll sleep on the right side," I whisper suddenly all shy. He goes to draw the curtains closed.

"Good thing you're inside now. It's storming out there."

It's been "storming" for the past three hours I was outside already but thanks for the information.

Slowly I move to my side of the bed but hesitate to get in.

"Come on, B. It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed together before," Edward comments.

"We were kids back then. Things were different," I remind him.

I lift the covers and slip in, while Edward turns off the light. It takes a while for me to get comfy but I eventually do when I turn to the right side and my back is to Edward. The events of the day weight heavy on my heart and soul, but I hope that I can try and sleep it off.

"Will you tell me the true reason you were standing at my door at 9 pm, soaking wet and eyes all puffy?" Edward asks in a whisper after a while.

With the lights out I can let myself be this person. The fragile little girl I have become today; that I was on the inside all along. It somehow makes it easier to spill your guts into the darkness.

"My mother brought this guy she wants to set me up with over for dinner tonight, which resulted into us getting into a fight and just like in any verbal fight, some pretty mean things are said. So I bailed out and walked around Forks for a while to clear my head until I made the decission to come to you." I explain, fighting hard to keep the tears in my eyes out of my voice.

Edward doesn't say anything in return. He just listens and lets actions speak instead of his mouth by turning me around and hugging me to him.

I let my forehead rest on his chest, right above where his heart lies. My forearms are up over my chest as if to keep me from falling apart, my hands curled into fists. It feels like I can only keep it together like this. The arms around me are aiding the issue.

This simple gesture and the familiarity of it are just what I needed right now, even though I would never admit it aloud.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Growling thunder wakes me up in the middle of the night. The rain has picked up outside and the room is illuminated every now and again by strokes of lightning. Edwards' left arm is still draped over my waist loosely, while his right arm is half tucked under his head half laying somewhere above my head.

Another stroke of lightning dances across the sky and casts the room in a soft light for an instant only but long enough to highlight Edwards' mesmerising facial features. There's just something about it that makes him look like he is not from this world and I mean that in a good way.

It's sad how this beautiful face doesn't come with a beautiful personality. Or should I say anymore? Not since he realized his effect on women.

I love to think back to those days when he was beautiful inside and out. When I didn't have to fight for his attention. Those days are merely a distant memory now.

Careful not to wake him, I turn my back to him.

Seeing his face up close brings up old memories and opens old wounds. It reminds me why I hate him so much now and why we've gone from best friends to perfect strangers. We didn't even have enough passion left in the end to be enemies who hate each other.

Not being under the spell of his pretty face, also reminds me that we agreed on a deal. Though details haven't been settled nor talked about yet, there are three things I was absolutely positive of:

First, Edward is still the same and thus I hated him.

Second, there was a part of him and said part was very dominant, that cared and loved only for himself.

And third? That's why we're surely never fall in love with one another unconditionally and irrevocably.

Sounds like a pretty sure deal to me.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-

I wake up to something hard and warm poking me in the ass and something hard against my back. Normally, I'd think that it's the walls on the left side of my bed that I am leaning against, but the difference in temperature disuades me. Whatever is behind me is radiating heat, so I dismiss the wall thought quickly. Plus, I'm lying on the right side so it's definitely out of the question.

Warily, I almost grind my ass against whatever I feel against my behind and my eyes fly open in shock.

Is that? No, surely not, now can it? Holy... it's pulsating!

So I have my back against a very male body.

Which surely belongs to a man.

Who is obviously sporting what I always thought was only a myth: Morningwood.

A flash of images from last night plays out in my head and suddenly I know where I am and who I'm in bed with.

It's Edwards' boner poking me!

Careful not to wake him, I turn around and face his sleeping form. How dare he get his erection so close to me? Not that this is the first time but still.

Looking at his innocent face I feel almost sorry for what I'm about to do next.

But only almost.

I raise my fist and punch him in the shoulder blade. He groans and his eyes yank open in surprise.

"What the fuck was that for?" he asks in an almost angry sexy morning voice guys usually have when they just got up. Edwards' is honestly the sexiest I've heard so far.

In response to his mini-outburst the corners of my mouth lift into an evil halfgrin. I'm pretty sure said evilness is also visible in the glint in my eyes.

"Is that a banana in your boxers or are you just extremely happy to wake up next to me?" I ask cheekily.

Take that Cullen! I can be cheeky too!

Instead of backing off, which would be the appropriate thing to do, Edward lifts me up like I weight nothing and lays me down on his hips while he's lying on his back. The smile on his lips tells me exactly what he's going to say before he's even opened his mouth. His naughty playful side has been awakened.

"It actually is a banana. Wanna peel it and have it for breakfast?"

This question would only be cheesier if it was followed by a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Nevermind I said that.

A bit offended by his suggestion, I punch him into his upper arm and climb off of him. The boy has a lot of nerve to say that.

I walk to the window and look out to the road. In this moment, when the sunrays shine through the windows and fill the room with a light so warm, I can't believe it was storming so badly yesterday. The streets are still wet but the blazing sunshine should take care of that soon. The sheets behind me ruffle and a few footsteps later, Edward is standing behind me.

"I don't remember the last time I've seen a rainbow in Forks." he comments.

"That's because you traded the oh-so-boring Forks for the fabulous and exciting L.A. a while ago," I snap back. I just can't help my reaction. To me him leaving Forks for L.A. has always been a metaphor for him leaving me for all those girls who sought his attention much more than I did. Yes, I'm still bitter over it.

My arms cross over my chest. He shouldn't have brought up this topic even though technically he didn't. It's my little insecure mind that makes these connections.

"Don't think so ill of L.A. Isabella. It's going to be your home too after all."

No matter how much I wouldn't want to admit he's right at this moment, he does have a point.

"There's a lot that needs to be discussed and arranged on that matter, but I can't do this on an empty stomach. Let's get dressed and grab a bite to eat."

I turn to him to judge whether he's up for my plan.

Poor choice of words. I mean it is definitely still up.

And I'm definitely staring.

"Out of curiosity: Doesn't it hurt?" I ask partly because I really want to know and I'm genuinely worried.

"Does what hurt?" he smiles back at me.

Fucker knows very well what I mean.

"The banana in your boxers?"

He bursts into laughter; he's seriously laughing at me.

"All those years and you still can't call it by it's name? Say it right after me. Look at the way my lips move and try to do the same. P-e-n-i-s." he says slowly as if talking to a 5-year old.

"I know very well what it's called Edward and I also know what to do with it, just for the record before you start explaining that to me too."

I was looking him straight in the eye when I said that, but I could swear that from my peripheral view I saw it twitch in response.

* * *

Leave a review, if you like Edward's twitching morningwood!

Loads of love,

B


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